Wacky Ig Nobel prizes show the funny side of science

[The Straight Story]

Wacky Ig Nobel prizes show the funny side of science

(AFP) – 14 minutes ago

NEW YORK CITY — The tongue-in-cheek Ig Nobel awards were handed to dozens of scientists, including those who confirmed drunk people think they are more attractive and studied the onion enzyme that makes us cry.

The Nobel prize spoof honors achievements "that first make people laugh and then make them think," according to a press release.

The Ig Nobels invite real Nobel laureates to confer honors on serious scientists for work that is generally only unintentionally funny.

There is also a peace prize, which this year was jointly awarded to the President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko, for making it illegal to applaud in public, and to the Belarus police "for arresting a one-armed man for applauding."

The safety engineering prize went to late American researcher Gustano Pizzo, who invented a system to trap airplane hijackers, seal them into a package and parachute them into the hands of police.

More listed at link:

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gI_qnN4zgqJlQPmCWA0a-e9lyyew?docId=CNG.98efaa72a3662d49028176a54c86e6e9.21

[pscot]

1. Zen cops in Belarus

[nadinbrzezinski]

2. I used to listen to it every year

it is funny as hell

[longship]

3. Love the Iggies!!!

They are wonderful. And they are regularly attended by many actual Nobel winners.

Who says scientists don't have a sense of humor.

Some of my favorite Iggies:

The 2012 Ig Nobel Literature Prize:

LITERATURE PRIZE: The US Government General Accountability Office, for issuing a report about reports about reports that recommends the preparation of a report about the report about reports about reports.

The 2003 Ig Nobel Biology Award:

BIOLOGY: C.W. Moeliker, of Natuurhistorisch Museum Rotterdam, the Netherlands, for documenting the first scientifically recorded case of homosexual necrophilia in the mallard duck.

2011 Ig Nobel Peace Prize:

PEACE PRIZE: Arturas Zuokas, the mayor of Vilnius, LITHUANIA, for demonstrating that the problem of illegally parked luxury cars can be solved by running them over with an armored tank.

(As is typical with the Iggies, the Vilnius mayor travelled all the way to Cambridge, MA to pick up his award.)

Enjoy!

[FarCenter]

4. +1