Debunking the Myth of Mutual Exclusivity: Humor in Academic Research

Academic research is sometimes criticized as indecipherable and abstract, but if you look closely, you’ll find plenty of interesting, cutting-edge stuff out there. Such research is honored each year by the Ig Nobel Prizes, now in their 22^nd year (this year was the 22^nd first annual ceremony). The awards recognize achievements that “first make people laugh and then make them think.”

Prizes are awarded in 10 categories, and this year’s crop covered an array of topics, some of them quite practical, like the physics of a ponytail. For those visiting Paris, if you want the Eiffel Tower to seem less imposing, lean to the left; it looks smaller that way. If you’re going for a colonoscopy, you might want to make sure the doctors have read up on the latest research for minimizing patient explosions. And while everyone knows about diamonds in the rough, did you ever think you’d find them in old Russian ammunition?

But it wasn’t just academia getting in on the fun. The U.S. Government Accountability Office picked up this year’s literature prize thanks to its “report about reports about reports that recommends the preparation of a report about the report about reports about reports.” And if you’re lost, don’t worry; it’s all explained in the report.