Ig Nobel Prize ceremony this year was held on September 18. I will introduce some of the Ig Nobel Prize this year.
・PHYSICS PRIZE [JAPAN]: Kiyoshi Mabuchi, Kensei Tanaka, Daichi Uchijima and Rina Sakai
For measuring the amount of friction between a shoe and a banana skin, and between a banana skin and the floor, when a person steps on a banana skin that's on the floor
Slipping on banana skins is typical fanny story in the world. According to my research, In japan, this joke was introduced by one of Chaplin's movie “By the sea.”(1915)
・ART PRIZE [ITALY]: Marina de Tommaso, Michele Sardaro, and Paolo Livrea
For measuring the relative pain people suffer while looking at an ugly painting, rather than a pretty painting, while being shot [in the hand] by a powerful laser beam
・PUBLIC HEALTH PRIZE [CZECH REPUBLIC, JAPAN, USA, INDIA]: Jaroslav Flegr, Jan Havlíček and Jitka Hanušova-Lindova, and to David Hanauer, Naren Ramakrishnan, Lisa Seyfried
For investigating whether it is mentally hazardous for a human being to own a cat
In this context “mentally hazardous” means, that to be with a cat, (because of their cuteness) you may become difficult to fear danger or become lethargic or your reaction time may slow down. Of course it is true.
sources:
http://www.improbable.com/ig/winners/
http://d.hatena.ne.jp/hidematu/20080511/1210498441
・PHYSICS PRIZE [JAPAN]: Kiyoshi Mabuchi, Kensei Tanaka, Daichi Uchijima and Rina Sakai
For measuring the amount of friction between a shoe and a banana skin, and between a banana skin and the floor, when a person steps on a banana skin that's on the floor
Slipping on banana skins is typical fanny story in the world. According to my research, In japan, this joke was introduced by one of Chaplin's movie “By the sea.”(1915)
・ART PRIZE [ITALY]: Marina de Tommaso, Michele Sardaro, and Paolo Livrea
For measuring the relative pain people suffer while looking at an ugly painting, rather than a pretty painting, while being shot [in the hand] by a powerful laser beam
・PUBLIC HEALTH PRIZE [CZECH REPUBLIC, JAPAN, USA, INDIA]: Jaroslav Flegr, Jan Havlíček and Jitka Hanušova-Lindova, and to David Hanauer, Naren Ramakrishnan, Lisa Seyfried
For investigating whether it is mentally hazardous for a human being to own a cat
In this context “mentally hazardous” means, that to be with a cat, (because of their cuteness) you may become difficult to fear danger or become lethargic or your reaction time may slow down. Of course it is true.
sources:
http://www.improbable.com/ig/winners/
http://d.hatena.ne.jp/hidematu/20080511/1210498441