Laugh and then think: What it's like to win the Ig Nobel Prize

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Audacious with Chion Wolf

Laugh and then think: What it's like to win the Ig Nobel Prize

By Jessica Severin de Martinez,

Chion Wolf

Published July 14, 2022 at 11:19 AM EDT

1 of 6 — The Ig Nobel Prize is given to people whose achievements make people laugh鈥� and then think.

The Ig Nobel Prize is given to people whose achievements make people laugh鈥� and then think.

Marc Abrahams founder of the Ig Nobel Prize stands at a podium holding the prize at a ceremony in 1991.

2 of 6 — Marc Abrahams: Founder of the Ig Nobel Prize Ceremony in 1991, celebrating achievements that 鈥渕ake you laugh and then think鈥�. He is also the co-founder and editor of the magazine, Annals of Improbable Research.

Marc Abrahams: Founder of the Ig Nobel Prize Ceremony in 1991, celebrating achievements that 鈥渕ake you laugh and then think鈥�. He is also the co-founder and editor of the magazine, Annals of Improbable Research.

Courtesy of Marc Abrahams

3 of 6 — Kees Moeliker: Dutch biologist, ornithologist, and director of the Natural History Museum Rotterdam. He won an Ig Nobel Prize in Biology for his study of homosexual necrophilia in male mallards in 2003. He is also the founder of Dead Duck Day, which is held annually on June 5th.

Kees Moeliker: Dutch biologist, ornithologist, and director of the Natural History Museum Rotterdam. He won an Ig Nobel Prize in Biology for his study of homosexual necrophilia in male mallards in 2003. He is also the founder of Dead Duck Day, which is held annually on June 5th.

4 of 6 — Dead Duck Day is held annually on June 5th.

Dead Duck Day is held annually on June 5th.

5 of 6 — Pavlo Blavatskyy: Professor of economics at Montpellier Business School. He won an Ig Nobel Prize for Economics in 2021 for his study correlating the perceived corruption of politicians and their body weight.

Pavlo Blavatskyy: Professor of economics at Montpellier Business School. He won an Ig Nobel Prize for Economics in 2021 for his study correlating the perceived corruption of politicians and their body weight.

6 of 6 — Patricia Yang: A two-time Ig Nobel Prize winner in Physics. The first was in 2015 for testing the biological principle that nearly all mammals empty their bladders in about 21 seconds (plus or minus 13 seconds). She won again in 2019 for studying how wombats make cubed poo.

Patricia Yang: A two-time Ig Nobel Prize winner in Physics. The first was in 2015 for testing the biological principle that nearly all mammals empty their bladders in about 21 seconds (plus or minus 13 seconds). She won again in 2019 for studying how wombats make cubed poo.

www.patriciayang.net

Almost 1000 people have won Nobel Prizes. But only 300 have won IG Nobel Prizes! That鈥檚 the award honoring achievements that first make people laugh, and then make them think.

In this episode, meet the creator of the prize, and three people who鈥檝e won it!

: The next Ig Nobel Prize ceremony will happen on September 15, 2022!

GUESTS:

: Founder of the Ig Nobel Prize Ceremony in 1991, celebrating achievements that 鈥渕ake you laugh and then think鈥�. He is also the co-founder and editor of the magazine,
: Dutch biologist, ornithologist, and director of the Natural History Museum Rotterdam. He won an Ig Nobel Prize in Biology for his study of homosexual necrophilia in male mallards in 2003. He is also the founder of , which is held annually on June 5th
: Professor of economics at Montpellier Business School. He won an Ig Nobel Prize for Economics in 2021 for his study correlating the perceived corruption of politicians and their body weight
: A two-time Ig Nobel Prize winner in Physics. The first was in 2015 for testing the biological principle that nearly all mammals empty their bladders in about 21 seconds (plus or minus 13 seconds). She won again in 2019 for studying how wombats make cubed poo

Jessica Severin de Martinez, Catie Talarski, Anya Grondalski, and Mira Raju contributed to this show.

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