{"id":18809,"date":"2018-09-12T20:00:33","date_gmt":"2018-09-12T14:30:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.enago.com\/academy\/?p=18809"},"modified":"2022-12-28T17:59:12","modified_gmt":"2022-12-28T11:59:12","slug":"ig-nobel-pize-2018-celebrating-unconventional-thinking","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.enago.com\/academy\/ig-nobel-pize-2018-celebrating-unconventional-thinking\/","title":{"rendered":"Ig Nobel Prize Ceremony 2018: Celebrating Unconventional Thinking"},"content":{"rendered":"

We are all familiar with the Nobel Prize ceremony. Renowned scientists and personalities get global recognition for their groundbreaking discoveries and incredible innovations every year. However, there are some \u201cnot-so-ground-breaking\u201d discoveries that most people are unaware of. Even these discoveries deserve mention as researchers have spent their precious time pursuing this research. Every year, the Ig Nobel Prize is a ceremony organized by the Improbable Blog<\/a>. As suggested by the name, Improbable Research tries to bring \u201cnot-so-authentic\u201d research into the limelight. When people come to know about this type of research, they tend to laugh at first. But then they start thinking about the same and get curious.<\/p>\n

What is the Ig Nobel Prize?<\/h2>\n

The name Ig Nobel Prize is a pun on the term \u201cignoble\u201d meaning \u201cnot noble or honorable.\u201d It is the brainchild of Marc Abrahams, editor of the Annals of Improbable Research<\/em>. These research ideas fulfill the major criteria<\/a> of \u201cnot being authentic.\u201d The ceremony \u201ccelebrates the unusual, honor the imaginative,\u201d and thereby initiates interest in science, medicine, and technology. The winners collect their awards in Sander\u2019s Theatre located at Harvard University in front of a crowd of 11,000 people. Interestingly, Nobel Laureates themselves hand over the Ig Nobel Prizes to researchers for their spectacular discoveries or inventions. Subsequently, these winners get invited to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). In fact, they even deliver a speech on their award-winning research at this reputed institute.<\/p>\n

Aim of the Ig Nobel Prize<\/h2>\n

The Ig Nobel Prize does not comment on whether the prize-winning research is authentic or hilarious. It simply highlights that people could even think in this way.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

For example, we seldom wake up at the first ringing of the alarm clock. We tend to press the \u201cSnooze\u201d button and go off to sleep. This motivated Gauri Nanda, a scientist from MIT. She invented an alarm clock that rings and then runs away before hiding itself in a new place.<\/p>\n

The Ig Nobel Prize also aims to mount curiosity into the minds<\/a> of researchers and non-researchers alike. For example, you might have disliked the subject of Chemistry. Then you come across a topic that discusses the conversion of cow manure into vanilla flavoring. There is a fair chance you would raise an eyebrow and try to figure out what it is exactly about. The magazine Annals of Improbable Research<\/em> receives about 5,000 nominations, out of which it shortlists only 10 winners every year.<\/p>\n

What Do the Winners Say?<\/h2>\n

Generally, most of the Ig Nobel Laureates take this award very sportingly. They do not consider this demeaning in any way. However, there are a few scientists who think otherwise. In fact, in the year 1995, Robert May, the chief advisor to the British government, expressed his discontent<\/a> towards the award ceremony. He drafted letters to the magazine and even to the journal Nature<\/em>, putting forth the charges of ridiculing science. The editor of Improbable Research responded with the argument that the honorees are contacted beforehand and asked for their consent. He also added that this award ceremony highlights how science could be fun, even without maintaining the regular stereotypes. This ceremony succeeds in providing attention to researchers, who otherwise might not have come into the limelight.<\/p>\n

Top 20 (Hilarious?) Ig Nobel Prizes<\/h2>\n