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Cockroach Milk, How to Blow Your Nose, and Mosquito Printers: The Ig Nobels of 2026
Achievements that first make people laugh and then make them think. That’s the motto of the Ig Nobel Prizes, an annual competition that—parodying the Nobel Prizes—recognizes some of the world’s most unusual scientific studies. The organization Improbable Research has been hosting the event since 1991 with the aim of showing that science also has a humorous side in its quest to meaningfully answer questions about the world.
This year the ceremony was held in Zurich, Switzerland, and recognized 10 research projects ranging from an attempt to scientifically define what a kiss is to an experiment that used buried underwear to assess soil health.
What exactly is a kiss? A group of researchers decided to establish a scientific definition that would apply to all animals, not just humans. They came up with the categorization that a kiss is “a non-agonistic interaction involving directed intraspecific oral-oral contact, with some movement of the lips or oral structures and without the transfer of food.” By this definition, other great ape species are also kissers, so are domestic dogs and cats as well as pigeons, penguins, squirrels, black bears, and tortoises—though not all of these kisses have the same meaning.
In the study “Higher Social Class Predicts Increased Unethical Behavior,” published in PNAS, researchers conducted seven experiments to investigate whether socioeconomic status was linked to unethical behaviors, such as breaking traffic rules, failing to yield the right of way, cheating, and even taking candy from children. Spoiler: Yes, it seems that more money does mean more problems—creating more problems at least. The results suggest that people from higher social classes have, on average, a greater tendency to prioritize self-interest. Who knew.
Yet another study suggesting that the future of nutrition may lie in insects. The “milk” in question is a high-protein substance produced by mother cockroaches of the species Diploptera punctata, which concentrate proteins, fats, and sugars into an extremely energy-dense form. A team of scientists analyzed the crystals that form inside the embryos to understand how these crystals store so many nutrients in such a tiny space.
The researchers behind the study on nutritious cockroach milk.
This is probably the most popular study in the competition because of the story behind it. It’s a posthumous award to scientist Unno Tokuji, who spent his final years studying the correct way to blow one’s nose. He analyzed everything from the aerodynamics and volume of nasal breathing to the pressure exerted on the ears. The recommendation was to blow one nostril at a time when one is more congested than the other and to do so with a long, relatively forceful exhalation, rather than a short, weak blow.
To determine what triggers a defensive bite, researchers applied pressure to different parts of the bodies of Bothrops jararaca snakes—a highly venemous species of South American pit viper—and observed how they reacted. Wearing a boot and in a controlled manner, they stepped on different parts of the snake. Stepping on the head resulted in a 44 percent probability of a bite. Applying pressure to the body yielded a 20 percent probability of an attack. If for some reason you need to step on a snake, aim for the tail, where the risk is only 11 percent.
One of the researchers who measured how snakes react to being stepped on.
According to mathematical models, there’s an optimal angle for a stream of liquid to hit a urinal if you don’t want droplets to bounce back. The researchers found that lower angles of impact significantly decreases splashing, and they designed prototypes based on that principle. Such scientifically backed urinals can help with keeping public restrooms sanitary.