Repurposing dead spiders, counting cadaver nose hairs win Ig Nobels for comical scientific feats

By LISA RATHKE
Associated Press

Counting nose hairs in cadavers, repurposing dead spiders and explaining why scientists lick rocks, are among the winning achievements in this year’s Ig Nobels, the prize for humorous scientific feats. The winners were announced Thursday in the 33rd annual prize ceremony. Since the coronavirus pandemic, the ceremony has been a prerecorded online event instead of the past live ceremonies at Harvard University. Ten spoof prizes were awarded to the teams and individuals from around the globe in various categories. Other winning teams were lauded for studying the impact of teacher boredom on student boredom; the affect of anchovies’ sexual activity on ocean water mixing; and how electrified chopsticks and drinking straws can change how food tastes.