The 35th Ig Nobel Prizes recently honored some truly unique scientific breakthroughs. This year, awards went to researchers who found painting cows with zebra stripes cuts insect bites by almost half. Another prize recognized nutritionists who looked into what kind of pizza some lizards prefer.
Perhaps you’ve wondered if painting cows like zebras could stop bugs from biting them. Or maybe you’ve thought about which gecko species loves which pizza toppings. You are not alone in your curiosity. Dedicated scientists have seriously studied these very questions. Their work, designed to “make you laugh, then think,” earned high praise at the 2025 Ig Nobel Prize ceremony in Boston.
Boston University hosted the 35th Ig Nobel Prize event. This year’s theme was “Digestion,” and the atmosphere was lively and fun. The ceremony was broadcast online. Guests continued the tradition of throwing paper airplanes. They also enjoyed a short opera called “The Plight of the Gastroenterologist.” Real Nobel laureates presented the awards, adding to the evening’s charm.
This year’s winners were as diverse and interesting as ever. They covered many fields:
- Biology: This award honored scientists who found that painting cows with zebra stripes reduced flies by nearly 50%. Another team discovered that rainbow geckos in Togo really enjoyed four-cheese pizza.
- Literature: This prize went to William B. Bean, given posthumously. He meticulously recorded and analyzed his own fingernail growth for 35 years.
- Pediatrics: Julie Mennella and Gary Beauchamp won for their study. They looked at how babies reacted to milk from mothers who had recently eaten garlic.
- Psychology: This team won for researching the effects of telling narcissists they are smart.
- Chemistry: This award recognized a team who ate Teflon. They wanted to see if it increased food volume and fullness without adding calories.
- Aeronautics: This prize went to a team studying how drinking alcohol affects bats. They observed impacts on a bat’s ability to fly and use echolocation.
- Peace: This team found that drinking alcohol, specifically vodka and lime, truly made people more confident to speak a foreign language.
Carly York is a biology professor and author. Her books often highlight scientific work that seems “absurd” but has real value. She explained that the Ig Nobel Prizes show how important basic research is, especially when it’s driven by pure curiosity. Even if some topics sound silly, she noted, they are vital building blocks. These studies can lead to major scientific discoveries later on. She drew a parallel to DNA sequencing technology. That breakthrough grew from research into how bacteria survive in very hot conditions.
Source: CNN