What can buried underwear, splash-free urinals and the smell of babies tell us about science? Apparently, quite a lot.
Marc Abrahams, founder and editor of the Annals of Improbable Research, discusses the 2026 Ig Nobel Prizes, which honor real scientific achievements that first make people laugh and then make them think. This year's winners explored topics ranging from kissing and snake bites to cockroach milk, mosquito anatomy and whether upper-class people are more likely to take candy from a baby.
Abrahams also explains the unusual traditions behind the awards, including handmade prizes, Nobel laureates presenting the honors and creative ways of keeping acceptance speeches short. He discusses the ceremony's move from the United States to Zurich, Switzerland, and why improbable research can reveal something meaningful about the way science works.
