Quirky science discoveries honoured at Ig Nobel prizes ceremony in Zurich

Scientists who explored cockroach milk as a potential nutrient source and examined the mechanics of nose-blowing were among ten research teams honoured at the Ig Nobel prizes, a ceremony that relocated to Europe after more than three decades in America.

Award ceremony moves to Switzerland

The satirical science awards, organised by the digital magazine Annals of Improbable Research, took place at a convention centre in Zurich after 35 years in the US. Organisers shifted the event over concerns about attendees being able to obtain visas, with fears it had become "unsafe" for guests to visit the country.

Winners received custom trophies resembling a cross between a mushroom and a human foot.

Research on decomposition and kissing

One research team buried 1,000 pairs of underwear in more than 25 countries to analyse soil health by studying how critters in the soil helped the garments decompose.

Matilda Brindle and Stuart West from the University of Oxford, along with Catherine F. Talbot from the Florida Institute of Technology, reconstructed the evolutionary history of kissing.

The late Dr Tokuji Unno was recognised for investigating the science of blowing one's nose.

The Ig Nobels celebrate unusual and imaginative contributions to science, honouring work that examines everyday phenomena and unconventional research questions.

Source: South China Morning Post