The Ig Nobel Prize

About This Episode

Dive into the strange world of the Ig® Nobel Prize when Neil deGrasse Tyson and co-host Leighann Lord interview Marc Abrahams, the prize’s founder and the co-founder of “The Annals of Improbable Research.” The prize is awarded for research that first makes you laugh, and then makes you think. You’ll discover the “first scientifically documented case of homosexual necrophilia in the Mallard Duck community.” You’ll explore “whether it is mentally hazardous for a human being to own a cat,” touching upon cat bites, depression, toxoplasmosis and “crazy cat ladies.” And if that’s not thought provoking enough, you’ll learn about prize-winning teams that have researched Coca Cola as a spermicide, the validity of the “5-Second Rule,” and the forces required to drag sheep across various surfaces. Last but not least, you’ll hear about the televangelists who won for their “discovery” that black holes fulfill the technical requirements to be the location of Hell. (Warning: This episode contains adult subject matter.)

NOTE: All-Access subscribers can listen to this entire episode commercial-free here: The Ig Nobel Prize.