The weekly newsletter for Fed2 by ibgames

EARTHDATE: October 3, 2010

Official News page 4

IG NOBEL PRIZES ANNOUNCED

by Hazed

The 2010 Ig Nobel prizes were announced this week at a ceremony at Harvard University, and they include the usual crop of wacky scientific research projects - including the use of a remote-controlled helicopter to collect whale snot!

The Ig Nobels are awarded each year, honoring achievements that, in the words of the organizers, "first make people laugh, and then make them think. The prizes are intended to celebrate the unusual, honor the imaginative — and spur people's interest in science, medicine, and technology."

Other research which has won a prize this year shows that:

  • The symptoms of asthma can be treated by riding a roller-coaster
  • Slime mould can determine the optimal route for railroad tracks
  • Microbes cling to scientists' beards

And my personal favorite:

  • Swearing really does relieve pain
To read about all of this year's winners (and those from previous years) go to the Ig Nobel website here.

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