GoKawiilIg Nobel awards move outside US for first time in 36-year history
The 2025 Ig Nobel prizes, which honor quirky but genuinely published research, were held outside the United States for the first time since the ceremony began, after founder Marc Abrahams cited safety concerns for international guests visiting the US. This year's fungus-themed event kept its trademark paper-plane openings, banana-suited timekeepers enforcing 60-second speeches, and 24/7 lectures, while handing out awards including a posthumous medicine prize for nose-blowing aerodynamics research and an economics prize on wealth and candy-jar theft.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
The relocation signals how geopolitical and immigration concerns are now affecting even lighthearted scientific traditions, not just major conferences or academic exchanges. It also underscores the Ig Nobels' broader mission of using humor to spotlight legitimate research that might otherwise be overlooked, keeping public engagement with science alive through absurdity rather than solemnity.
- The Ig Nobel ceremony left the US for the first time in its 36-year run over guest safety concerns.
- This year's fungus-themed event honored studies on nose-blowing aerodynamics, wealth and candy theft, and valuing vicious friends.
- The awards continue blending comedic performance with peer-reviewed science to boost public interest in research.
This Is Improbable" by Marc Abrahams — Written by the founder of the Ig Nobel Prizes, this book collects the gloriously odd real research that makes you laugh, then makes you think. It's the perfect companion for anyone charmed by paper-airplane-filled award ceremonies and 7-word science lectures.
See This Is Improbable" by Marc Abrahams on Amazon → Affiliate link — we may earn a commission on purchases, at no extra cost to you. Product picked by AI based on this article; it is not a tested recommendation.Source: nature.com, 2026-09-09
Published there as: “Why the super-fun Ig Nobel prizes bring serious value to science”
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