- 7 pictures
When we think of scientists, we think of people in white coats striving ceaselessly to find the cure for cancer. We think of Albert Einstein, not remembering that picture of him on a bicycle. With the Ig Nobels, which celebrate the most eccentric contributions to science, we remember that there are all sorts of questions left to be answered in science, not just the monumentally earth-shattering ones.
Medicine Prize
As if people were not clamoring loud enough for colonic cleanses, this study prescribed the proper method to give colonoscopies so that the patient will not explode. Did you know that colonoscopies could make you explode?
Reference: : "Argon Plasma Coagulation in the Treatment of Hemorrhagic Radiation Proctitis is Efficient But Requires a Perfect Colonic Cleansing to Be Safe," E. Ben-Soussan, M. Antonietti, G. Savoye, S. Herve, P. Ducrotté, and E. Lerebours, European Journal of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, December 2004
Anatomy Prize
Chimpanzees are able to identify each other by seeing photographs of their behinds.
Reference: : "Faces and Behinds: Chimpanzee Sex Perception" Frans B.M. de Waal and Jennifer J. Pokorny, Advanced Science Letters, 2008.
Neuroscience Prize
Published in the appropriately-titled Journal of Serendipitous and Unexpected Results, this study found that, given complicated instruments and statistics, you too could find brain activity in a dead salmon.
Reference: "Neural Correlates of Interspecies Perspective Taking in the Post-Mortem Atlantic Salmon: An Argument For Multiple Comparisons Correction," Craig M. Bennett, Abigail A. Baird, Michael B. Miller, and George L. Wolford, Journal of Serendipitous and Unexpected Results, 2010.
Psychology Prize
The study examined whether people's estimation abilities would change if they leaned to the right or left. Verdict? Leaning to the left made people's estimates smaller.
Reference: "Leaning to the Left Makes the Eiffel Tower Seem Smaller: Posture-Modulated Estimation," Anita Eerland, Tulio M. Guadalupe and Rolf A. Zwaan, Psychological Science, December 2011
Acoustics Prize
Researchers developed a system that jams human speech by delaying the sound of a person's speech by a few hundred milliseconds. The effect is only able to be heard by the person speaking. Best of all, it can only be stopped if the person stops talking, so it's perfect for that uncle you don't like at Thanksgiving.
Reference: "SpeechJammer: A System Utilizing Artificial Speech Disturbance with Delayed Auditory Feedback," Kazutaka Kurihara, Koji Tsukada, arXiv, February 2012
Bonus: Peace Prize
Giving a new meaning to term 'conflict diamonds', Russia's SKN company developed a method that could turn old Russian ammunition into diamonds. Pictured is the Hope Diamond.
When we think of scientists, we think of people in white coats striving ceaselessly to find the cure for cancer. We think of Albert Einstein, not remembering that picture of him on a bicycle. With the Ig Nobels, which celebrate the most eccentric contributions to science, we remember that there are all sorts of questions left to be answered in science not just the monumentally earth-shattering ones.
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Published by Medicaldaily.com
