The Ig Nobel Prizes: The Annals of Improbable Research

This is one seriously funny book. Ig Nobel prizes are awarded to those who pursue (and publish) research that first makes you laugh, then makes you think. Actual Nobel Laureates present the awards and participate in the general shenanigans that take place during the annual ceremony. Abrahams's descriptions of this selection of winners had me cracking up repeatedly. It's hard to pick a favorite, though I did particularly enjoy Levitating Crime Fighters and High Velocity Birth. And yes, as is repeatedly mentioned, all of these experiments are real. Definitely recommended.

If I were awarding marks to the concept of the Ig Nobel prizes themselves, rather than to this book about them, I would be giving five stars without hesitation. The Ig Nobels, awarded for scientific endeavours that "make us laugh, then make us think" are a fine institution. But aspects of the process come across as a set of overgrown boys games, and some of that comes across in the writing style here.

When it's good, it's very good. The descriptions of quack medicine such as Deepak Chopra's Quantum Health strike just the right tone as does the award for the bizarre Texas legislation regarding laboratory glassware. There's a lot of background material on the prizes themselves, which you may find of interest. But overall, this is best show more consumed in small doses. show less

The Ig Nobels are awarded (with help of Nobel laureates) for silly science.I appreciate the intersection of peculiar or bizarre preoccupations and objects with research that is sometimes useful, sometimes not. The Ig Nobels cover a good range of quirky professional and avocational studies. I prefer these to the awards that, while funny, are more mean-spirited and aren't about research but about policy or writing (e.g., digs at Deepak Chopra or Dan Quayle). Some of the research studies are solid; others make you wonder whether an IRB or any form of oversight was involved. My favorite awards include "The Happiness of Clams" (outcome: They reproduce more with an SSRI) "Levitating Frogs" (more accurately, frogs suspended by electromagnets), show more and "The Kitty and the Keyboard" (on the development of software that detects when a cat is walking on the computer keyboard). show less

The awards are important, humorous and educational - the book is not as successful. The book simply archives the awards as if they all would reflect the criteria that make them win automatically. What the book should have covered is the process in identifying winners for this award, explaining the choices made, valuing the exclusivity of the award even if apparently silly.

Fascinating collection of unusual research. It bothers me a little that the winners can be either examples of genuine, accurate, replicable research or just loony stuff. For example, the winners who researched how to whet the appetite of leeches had a real medical reason for doing this and likely the results could be duplicated, but the woman who believes she can subsist on energy from light alone is cuckoo. I better enjoyed the examples that were actual research that just happened to be unusual. (The criteria given for inclusion in the awards include "achievements that cannot or should not be reproduced," but I don't think they strictly follow this guideline, since I think some of the inventions, research, etc., could be reproduced show more without too much effort or risk.)

I love the whole idea of the Ig Nobel Prizes and especially appreciate all the people who have embraced the spirit of the awards ceremony, winners and spectators alike. It's neat that actual Nobel Laureates jump right in to the festivities too.

I'm going to check out the Annals of Improbable Research website for more on these fun awards! show less

This is a compilation of all the Ig Nobel prizes awarded to those inventors and scientists who are are the very fringes of research and experimentation and development.

The blurb says it will make you laugh; and then make you think. It didn't make me laugh very often, but it did make me smile a few times. There were a few favourites, for example I didn't know that there was a British Standard for tea (BS6008), and that learned men have developed equations for the correct length of time to dunk a biscuit. Other have used magnets to levitate frogs, and have perfected the technique for getting the barbecue lit. And too temperature. In three seconds.

There are some mad people out there and some of them are responsible for things and other show more people! This book celebrates their achievements... show less

Fabulous. There are some crazy people out there, and some questionable research methods. Fun and worrying in equal parts.