Think of scientific research and you may picture white lab coats, microscopes or arrays of high-end equipment — but the reality is sometimes very different.
Around the world, scientists are working in less stereotypical environments on unusual research projects, such as gently stepping on different parts of a venomous snake, to work out what exactly will make the animal bite a human.
That is just one of 10 pieces of research honored Thursday at the Ig Nobel awards, which exist to shine a spotlight on the kind of scientific achievements that “first make people laugh, and then make them think,” according to a statement from the organizers.
The ceremony for the 36th edition of the annual awards took place in Zurich, Switzerland, on Thursday, with “fungi” the theme of this year’s event.
Designed as a spoof of the Nobel Prizes, the Ig Nobels are organized by the magazine Annals of Improbable Research.
