The Ig Nobel Prizes honour achievements so surprising that they make people laugh, then think. The prizes are intended to celebrate the unusual, honour the imaginative — and spur people’s interest in science, medicine, and technology.
The founder and emcee of the ceremony is Marc Abrahams, who also runs Improbable Research, a publication dedicated to scientific humour.
The prizes have been described as “the highlight of the scientific calendar,” by Nature magazine. The awards have been also covered by the BBC, Le Temps, El Pais, Le Monde, Dagens Nyheter, and many more.
After 35 years of being hosted in the United States, the 2026 ceremony will be held in Zurich, Switzerland.
In a post explaining the move, Marc Abrahams said “we cannot in good conscience ask the new winners, or the international journalists who cover the event, to travel to the USA this year.”
Join us at 18:00 CET on 02 June where Marc and Kees Moeliker, the European Bureau chief for Improbable Research will discuss
- the history of the awards
- the decision to move them to Europe
- the future plan for the prizes