The Ig-Nobel Awards, a satirical recognition of unusual scientific achievements, will be held outside the United States for the first time this year, in Zurich, Switzerland. This decision stems from organizers’ concerns regarding the political climate across the Atlantic. The purpose of the Ig-Nobel Awards, according to organizers, is to “amuse people and then make them think.”
Awards are presented in ten categories, and the ceremonial presentation, since 1991, traditionally took place in Boston, though it has occurred in other locations.
This year’s event will be held on September 3rd in Zurich, in collaboration with the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology “ETH Zurich” and the University of Zurich. The decision to relocate was due to worries about participant safety and difficulties obtaining American visas. Organizer Mark E Abrams stated that it was no longer safe for guests to visit the U.S.
under these circumstances. The event is planned to occur in Zurich every other year, with other European cities hosting it in the intervening years. For the past 35 years, recipients have traveled to the U.S.
to receive their medals, held at institutions like Harvard, MIT, and Boston University. In 2023, a team including Macedonian doctor Natasha Mesinkovska won the Ig-Nobel Prize in Medicine, investigating whether humans have the same number of fibers in both nostrils using tissue from deceased individuals. Previous winners have researched topics such as whether dyeing cows with zebra-like patterns can deter mouse attacks and which type of pizza reptiles prefer.
Four of the ten winners from last year also declined to travel to Boston to accept their awards. Fertility rates in the EU have decreased significantly, with 1.34 births per woman in 2024 compared to 2.67 in 1960, and 1.44 in Macedonia.
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The Ig-Nobel Prizes will be presented in Zurich, Switzerland. This marks the first time the awards, which celebrate inventive and often bizarre scientific accomplishments, are held outside of America.