Now reading: 11 hilariously bizarre winners of the Ig Nobel Prize
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11 hilariously bizarre winners of the Ig Nobel Prize

Somewhat less prestigious than the Nobel Prize, but much more hilarious, the Ig Nobel Prize annually lauds research worth commemorating for its weirdness.

Levitating frog on light blue background

The Nobel Prize is the most prestigious prize in science, awarded each year since 1901 to researchers who have expanded our understanding of the world.

The Ig Nobel Prize is the mischievous evil twin of the Nobel, awarded each year since 1991 – though the first one in physics came a year later – to researchers who have expanded the outer fringes of scientific pursuit (for example, why wombat poop is cube-shaped).

Marc Abrahams, founder of the Ig Nobel, says the awards are for achievements that “have that quality of first making people laugh, and then making them think.”

Here’s a look at some of our favourite examples of weird science to have won the dubious honour of an Ig Nobel Prize in Physics.

1993

Close up shot of brown egg shells and cold fusion atom

1996

Piece of toast face down with red jam splattered out from underneath it

1997

Close up shot of a flaming ball of garbage

1999

Two teapots facing each other spilling tea from the spout

2000

Brown frog laying face down in a bowl

2002

Close up of a full stein of brown beer

2004

Woman wearing wind breaker and shorts using a hula hoop

2009

Side profile of a pregnant woman in overalls pointing to her right

2014

Close up shot of person wearing pink shoes stepping on a banana peel

2017

Fluffy orange and brown kitten beside a blue and green liquid version of the kitten

2019

Close up shot of a wombat walking on the grass

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