In 2002, NHK, Japan’s public TV network, made this documentary about the Ig Nobel Prizes. They broadcast it in Japan on Christmas eve, a time when much of the nation stays home, imbibes delicious substances, and watches television. We were told that the broadcast received the largest audience of anything broadcast on NHK during that entire year—a thought we find both delightful and perplexing.
Related info:
- The 2002 Ig Nobel Prize ceremony
- The 2002 winners
- Press clippings from that year
BONUS: A few years later, Young Jump magazine published a two-part manga about the Ig Nobel Prizes. (Here are Part 1 and Part 2.) The year after that, the manga writer gave a talk at the Ig Informal Lectures at MIT. The manga was later published in book form.