After 35 years in the USA, the Ig Nobel Prize ceremony is moving to Europe. This coming September 3, the 36th First Annual Ig Nobel Prize Ceremony will take place in Zurich, Switzerland. TICKETS will go on sale Tuesday, May 12, 2026. [NOTE: We will have a big celebration event in Boston, three weeks after […]
UNRULY — A New Book About the Joy/Thrill of the Unexpected (and the Ig Nobel Prizes)
Upasana Sarraju’s new book called Unruly: The Ig Nobel Prizes and The Science That Refuses to Behave dives into, swims and surfs through a universe (our universe, in fact) full of unexpected science. Published by India Penguin [ISBN 9780143470403], the book’s official debut date is February 28, 2026. Here’s how Sarraju describes the book: After […]
A serendipitous Ig Nobel Prize gathering and chatfest
Serendipity and the Ig Nobel Prize — Tonight I, the American founder of the Ig Nobel Prizes, was having dinner with two Dutch Ig Nobel Prize winners (Ida Sabelis and Kees Moeliker) in an Italian Restaurant in the city of Essen, Germany (where we and another Ig winner are doing a show tomorrow night, Friday, […]
Inertial Properties of Athletes Who Somersault
There are many twists in the story of how Joanne Mikl estimated the inertial properties of athletes who do somersaults. Mikl explains some of them, in this study: “Methods Of Estimating Athlete Inertial Properties And Their Implications For The Study Of Somersaults,” Joanne Mikl, ISBS-Conference Proceedings Archive, vol. 1, no. 1. 2013.
The Growth of Human Hair in Nude Mice
The growth of human hair in nude mice has been studied more than the growth of mouse hair in nude humans. This study reports some of the early work about the first of those categories: “The Growth of Human Hair in Nude Mice,” Dominique Van Neste, Dermatologic Clinics, vol. 14, no. 4, 1996, pp. 609-617. […]
The Vivacity of Volunteering for the Ig Nobel Events
The movement of the Ig Nobel Prize ceremony to Europe is creating opportunities for people to help with the theatrical, technical, and people aspects of creating the magic. A few hours ago we put a little notice on Linked-In, for anyone who might like to volunteer for the ceremony (which will happen in Zurich, Switzerland in […]






