The annual Ig Nobel awards, which recognise scientific achievements that "first make people laugh and then make them think," were presented on Thursday. Real Nobel laureates were on stage to hand out the awards, with winners giving "24/7" lectures describing their work in 24 seconds and then in seven words.
Among the 2026 winners, psychologists received the Economics prize for research suggesting that upper-class individuals are more likely to behave badly. Dr Paul Piff, a social psychologist at the University of California, Irvine, and his colleagues found that wealthier people were more prone to lying at work, being oblivious to other road users, and taking treats intended for children. In one experiment, upper-class participants took nearly twice as many sweets from a jar ostensibly meant for children compared to lower-class individuals.
Other awards included the Biomechanics prize for Oxford University researchers who developed a scientific definition of kissing. The Physics prize went to a team from the University of Waterloo in Canada for designing a urinal that significantly reduces splash by ensuring the stream hits the surface at an angle of less than 30 degrees. The Peace prize was awarded for research on the power of mutual enemies in friendship groups, while the Biology prize recognised a study on what makes venomous snakes bite in defence, though this study was later retracted due to ethical concerns.