From deciphering fingernail growth to observing pizza-loving lizards, the 2025 Ig Nobel Prizes once again championed research that first tickles our funny bone, then sparks genuine curiosity. The virtual ceremony, hosted from Harvard University’s Sanders Theatre, highlighted a diverse array of unconventional studies from across the globe, all of which surprisingly addressed fundamental scientific questions.
Leading the pack for their ingenuity were Vikash Kumar and Sarthak Mittal from India, who clinched the engineering design prize. Their award-winning work meticulously analyzed, from an engineering perspective, how the unpleasant aroma of shoes affects the overall experience of using a shoe rack. This groundbreaking study was originally published in 2022.
Established in 1991 by the science humor magazine ‘Annals of Improbable Research,’ the Ig Nobel Prizes were conceived as a lighthearted counterpart to the more serious Nobel awards. While initially seen by some as trivial, these accolades have blossomed into a respected annual tradition. Their guiding principle — “first make people laugh, and then make them think” — beautifully illustrates how even seemingly whimsical investigations can illuminate significant areas in psychology, biology, and beyond.
This year’s literature prize, for instance, posthumously celebrated American physician William Bean, who dedicated an astonishing 35 years to meticulously documenting his own fingernail growth. Dr. Bean’s unparalleled commitment resulted in a series of papers spanning decades, solidifying his place as one of medical history’s most diligent self-observers. His son, Bennett Bean, graciously accepted the award in his father’s honor.
In the realm of psychology, Marcin Zajenkowski of Poland and Gilles Gignac of Australia explored the effects of telling people, particularly narcissists, that they possess high intelligence. Their findings revealed that such positive affirmations temporarily boost feelings of uniqueness, offering valuable insights into the intricate relationship between self-esteem and personality.
Venturing into the culinary world, the nutrition prize acknowledged researchers from Nigeria, Togo, Italy, and France for their study on rainbow lizards developing an unexpected fondness for pizza scraps at a seaside resort. Their paper compellingly demonstrated how urban development can lead to surprising shifts in animal diets. Similarly, the pediatrics prize was awarded to Julie Mennella and Gary Beauchamp of the U.S., who discovered that when mothers consume garlic, its distinct flavor is detectable in breast milk, subsequently influencing infant feeding behavior. This decades-old research continues to shape our understanding of early taste development.
Japan earned the biology prize, as Tomoki Kojima and his team investigated whether painting zebra-like stripes on cows could deter fly bites. Indeed, the striped bovines attracted fewer pests, building upon previous research suggesting zebra patterns might serve as nature’s own insect repellent.
Meanwhile, the chemistry prize went to Rotem and Daniel Naftalovich and Frank Greenway, who pondered whether ingesting Teflon, commonly known for its nonstick properties, could add bulk to meals without increasing calorie count. While not exactly a dietary recommendation, their work provoked interesting questions about satiety and food engineering.
The peace prize honored a more jovial social experiment conducted by researchers from the Netherlands, the U.K., and Germany. Their study suggested that moderate alcohol consumption can sometimes enhance a person’s fluency in a foreign language, perhaps giving new meaning to the term “Dutch courage.”
Returning to India’s triumph, the work of Drs. Kumar and Mittal serves as a quirky yet crucial reminder to designers that even everyday annoyances deserve meticulous ergonomic study. This marks India’s 22nd Ig Nobel win. The nation’s most recent previous recognition was in 2022, when an international team, including Indian researchers, received the mechanical engineering prize for re-animating deceased spiders to function as mechanical gripping tools.
And let’s not forget the 2020 peace prize, shared by India and Pakistan, for their diplomats’ playful escapades of surreptitiously ringing each other’s doorbells in the dead of night, only to flee before anyone could answer.
Other notable winners this year included studies on bats flying under the influence of alcohol, which secured the aviation prize, and the physics behind why pasta sauces occasionally form lumps. Collectively, these projects underscore the enduring charm of the Ig Nobel Prizes, proving that behind every laugh lies a genuine, often profound, curiosity about the world. After all, who says science can’t be fun?