Ig Nobel Prizes Hold First Overseas Ceremony in Zurich, Citing Visa Concerns

On September 3, 2026, the 36th Ig Nobel ceremony was held at a convention centre in Zurich, Switzerland. Winners included a study that found cockroach milk contains almost three times the energy of cow’s milk, an aerodynamic analysis of nose-blowing, a reconstruction of the evolutionary history of kissing, and a global experiment burying 1,000 pairs of underwear to track soil-organism decomposition.

CNN

For the first time in its 36-year history, the ceremony moved outside the United States after organizers cited difficulties securing visas for scientists and journalists. The shift ended a 35-year run of U.S. venues that had included Harvard, MIT and Boston University. Immigration policies were described as making travel to the United States “unsafe” for guests.

Scientists studying cockroach milk and nose-blowing win Ig Nobel prizes for quirky science

• Teams honored: 10 research groups.

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• Cockroach milk study: Conducted by the Institute of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine in India, reporting milk from live-bearing cockroaches contains nearly three times the energy of dairy milk proteins.

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• Underwear burial experiment: Researchers buried 1,000 pairs of underwear in more than 25 countries, later retrieving them to assess how soil organisms break down textile fibers.

South China Morning Post

• Kissing biomechanics: Matilda Brindle, Stuart West (Oxford) and Catherine F. Talbot (Florida Institute of Technology) defined kissing as non-aggressive mouth-to-mouth contact without food transfer, citing examples from ants to polar bears.

PBS News Hour

• Nose-blowing aerodynamics: The late Dr. Tokuji Unno examined airflow patterns during nose blowing.

Urinal Without Splashing and Cockroach Milk: Winners of the 2026 Ig Nobel Prize Announced

• Marc Abrahams, master of ceremonies and editor of the Annals of Improbable Research, explained the relocation: “During the past year, it has become unsafe for our guests to visit the country.”

Scientists studying cockroach milk and nose-blowing win Ig Nobel prizes for quirky science

• Matilda Brindle, evolutionary biologist at Oxford, emphasized curiosity-driven research: “Of course, applied research is vital, but it would be a grave loss if we stopped looking at the world around us and asking ‘why?’.”

CNN

The venue change shows how immigration policy can affect international scientific exchange. Holding the ceremony in Europe ensured broader participation and highlighted the global nature of the research. The awarded projects, while whimsical, address real questions—from energy density in unconventional food sources to the mechanics of everyday actions—demonstrating that “silly” studies can yield practical insights.

CNN

• September 3, 2026: Ig Nobel ceremony held in Zurich; awards presented across categories.

Buried undies, nose-blowing studies win Ig Nobel prizes

• 2027: Planned ceremony in Antwerp, Belgium, with alternating European locations thereafter.

Buried undies, nose-blowing studies win Ig Nobel prizes

All sources consistently report the ceremony’s location, the number of teams honored, and the key research findings. No substantive discrepancies were identified.

Scientists studying cockroach milk and nose-blowing win Ig Nobel prizes for quirky science

• “During the past year, it has become unsafe for our guests to visit the country,” — Marc Abrahams, master of ceremonies and editor of the magazine

Scientists studying cockroach milk and nose-blowing win Ig Nobel prizes for quirky science

• “Of course, applied research is vital, but it would be a grave loss if we stopped looking at the world around us and asking ‘why?’. Curiosity for its own sake is fundamental to how science moves forward,” — Matilda Brindle, evolutionary biologist at the University of Oxford

CNN