Why do some see Jesus on their toast? Can you cure bleeding with bacon? The “Anti-Nobels” honor the most improbable scientific discoveries.
Sometimes researchers have strange ideas. They are trying to determine if a bra can serve as a gas mask ; Where which bones dissolve in the digestive system of a human who swallowed a mole without chewing it. As far-fetched as these scientific investigations are, they are nonetheless devoid of interest …
“The Ig Nobel Prizes reward work that first makes you laugh, then think”, we can read on the ceremony site. For this 24e edition of the Ig Nobel Prize (pronounced Ig-nobel, as ignoble in English), ten teams, from five continents, were distinguished at the Sanders Theater of the prestigious American Harvard University. The prizes were awarded by real Nobels. Small tour of the most improbable discoveries.
Medicine price: treat nosebleed with bacon
How did the researchers come to this conclusion? Mystery. Still, an Indian and North American team has uncovered this strange remedy for people suffering from Glanzmann’s thrombasthenia, a hemorrhagic disease.
To stop uncontrollable nosebleeds, it is enough to wrap patients’ noses with slices of bacon. In their study, relayed on the PubMed site, the researchers are delighted with the effectiveness of the method. “Using smoked pork as a nasal tampon can effectively and quickly stop the bleeding, without after-effects. ”
Neurology Prize: Why do we see Jesus on toast
Yes, some people see Christ on their slice of toast. And that’s perfectly normal, according to Chinese-Canadian researchers, who won the Anti-Nobel Prize in neurology. The phenomenon, called “pareidolia” is even very widespread: it consists of putting a face on a motif or an object – a cloud, a rock …
“Our study suggests that it’s common to see facial features that don’t exist because the human brain is only programmed to recognize faces,” write the researchers at this very serious study, published in the journal Cortex.
What, you have NEVER seen Jesus on your slice of bread? Here it is, it’s done:
Public health award: are cats driving us crazy?
A team of Czech, Indian and Japanese researchers have attempted to answer this burning question. In several studies, they assess the mental health risks associated with owning a cat.
But neither the untimely nocturnal meows, nor the “old maid with her cats” effect are questioned. In fact, the researchers looked at the risks of toxoplasmosis, a parasite which particularly likes to lodge on felines, and which can trigger, in humans, certain neuropathologies – depression, suicidal ideation, schizophrenia … First laugh, then think!
… And the others
– The price of nutrition was awarded to Spanish researchers for their work investigating the possibility of using bacteria from the stools of newborns to make sausages. Yum.
– The price of psychology came back to a team of researchers who have shown that night owls have an increased likelihood of being narcissistic, manipulative, and psychopathic compared to early risers.
– The price of physics went to a Japanese team that studied the friction between a banana peel and a shoe that walks on it.
No French this year … However, they had distinguished themselves the previous year thanks to their study on the subject: “Does drinking alcohol make you feel more beautiful?” “. (The answer is yes).
Discover all the Ig Nobel 2014.
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