The winners of the Ignobel Prize 2025 have been named

This year was the 35th ceremony organised by the Annals of Improbable Research. It was held at Boston University and gathered scientists from all over the world, whose works turned out to be both curious and useful. This is reported by the publication Phys.org.

Striped cows

The biology prize went to a team from Japan who proved: if you colour cows to look like zebras, they are less likely to be bitten by flies. One of the researchers accepted the award by taking off his jacket and revealing a "zebra" striped T-shirt.

Pizza for lizards

The nutrition prize went to scientists who observed rainbow lizards in Togo. It turned out that when they steal pizza from tourists, they prefer the four-cheese version.

Alcohol and languages

An international group from the Netherlands, Germany and the UK won a peace prize for their work on how alcohol helps you speak a foreign language better. A small dose (less than a mug of beer) did boost confidence and improve pronunciation - but only in moderation.

The physics of pasta

European researchers have been honoured with a physics prize for discovering how to make the perfect cacho e pepe sauce without lumps. One of the authors took to the stage with a false moustache and a huge chef's hat.

Socialportal wrote more about the discovery here today.

Drunken Bats

The aviation prize went to a study showing that bats that have eaten fermented fruit are worse at flying and lose navigation. The scientists admitted: the most difficult task was to keep the test subjects from wanting to "drink more".

Nail growth

The Literary Prize was awarded posthumously to William B. Bean, who kept a diary of his fingernail growth for 35 years. His son said that his father made marks on his fingernails and carefully monitored their movement.

Daffodils and compliments

Psychology was won by a team from Poland, Canada and Australia. They studied the reactions of narcissistic personalities to praise. The ceremony ended with a choral rendition of "If you're special and you know it, clap your hands".

Milk and garlic

American researchers have won a paediatrics award for their work that infants can tolerate and even like the taste of garlic in their mother's milk.

Food with Teflon

The Chemistry Prize went to a study of the effect of Teflon on feelings of satiety. Scientists from the USA and Israel tried to understand whether the coating of frying pans can cause a feeling of satiety without calories.

By the way, Socialportal today told about the fact that scientists have discovered a"weight loss molecule".

Stinky shoes

The engineering prize - at Indian researchers who studied how the unpleasant odour of shoes affects the structure of shoe shelves. The instruments failed and the experiment had to be conducted with the help of "brave human noses".

Science can be fun, paradoxical and unexpected. But even such investigations help to better understand the world and often find practical applications.