Ig Nobel Prize, Theatre of the Absurd

There is what is called conventional research and the off-the-beaten- track research. Both obviously require funding of some sorts, either from the government or through donations. In many of the unconventional cases, taxpayer funds or grants, and students’ research and study times, can be wasted on frivolous subjects. Okay, once in a blue moon, such research can be useful but most of the time it is almost like a parody of the conventional studies.

Years ago a study was conducted on popcorn and to determine why not all the kernels popped in the pan. The question to ask back then was, does it matter? Not really. And if we ask the same question today, the answer would probably also be the same.

Strange and bizarre studies continue to be conducted today and, little did we know, that they’re in for a prize. We’ve all heard of the prestigious Nobel Prize for many fields. It’s an honourable and very high profile prize awarded to those who have excelled in their fields and whose findings may benefit mankind overall.

Then there’s the Ig Nobel Prize. It’s a real thing but it’s also a parody of the Nobel Prize. It was first awarded back in 1991 for the most absurd studies and their most absurd outcomes. Studies which, if they’d never been conducted, would not have taken anything away from what we know, or, if they had been, would not have added anything to what we already know.

For example, hair loss can happen anywhere on your body, including your nostrils. The purpose of nose hairs is to protect your nasal passages and your lungs from inhaling dust particles and other foreign particles. The nasal hairs trap them so that you can clean them. The question scientists posed was how many hairs are in each nostril?

But surely the real question is, does the number matter and what can you do about it if you learn that there are fewer in one than the other?

But maybe there is indeed a reason why some people are more mentally agile than others. But what are they capable of doing? One study looked at those who had the ability to speak backwards. Speaking backwards might be entertaining to watch but how useful is it really? And another is reading text written backwards or upside down. That might actually be useful to a spy who might need to read information from any angle and very quickly.

Speaking of speaking, I think many of us can relate to the next study even though it is, again, pointless. Have you ever repeated a single word over and over again only to find that after a while the word begins to sound odd to you no matter how common it is? Also, if you repeat it over and over again, for some reason, do you find that your tongue begins to get clumsy, like the word no longer smoothly rolls off it?  It is odd indeed but what’s the point of this study? None whatsoever.

This is all very psychological and a little bit physiological in nature but another looks into a study of how many passers-by look up when they see a stranger in the street doing it. In this case, it’s obvious why people do it. They are nosey creatures; they are curious creatures. Is something happening? What’s up there? Rubber necking is also driven by curiosity and that is why you see long tailbacks in both directions when there is a road incident. To be honest, if I saw someone in the street looking up, I might look too. But again, what’s the point of this finding? I can’t see one.

But sometimes there is a little bit of electrical engineering involved too. Imagine metal chopsticks that must be plugged into an electrical outlet so that when you use them to eat, your food tastes salty and the taste is enhanced. I see a potential for an electric shock.

 The Ig Nobel Prize continues to be awarded despite the ridiculousness of the categories.

 Past prizes have gone to Dan Quayle, under the education category, for his “potato with an ‘e’” gaffe; for a study that concluded that those who think they have foot odour, do, whereas those who think they don’t, don’t; and for a study that concluded that people who believe they were abducted by aliens from outer space, probably were.