logo
episode-header-image
Sep 2023
30m 7s

The Ig Nobel Prize

iHeartPodcasts
About this episode

In 1991, the editor of a satirical science journal launched an award for the scientifically ridiculous (and ridiculed), the Ig Nobel Prize. Learn how it all got started and some of the early tech-related prize winners!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Up next
Today
Is Anthropic's Mythos Model Too Dangerous? - Week in Tech
Why would Anthropic let select companies use a product deemed too dangerous for the public? Nitasha Tiku (The Washington Post) helps us peek behind the curtain of Claude Mythos Preview and explores the scare tactics of AI CEOs. Taylor Lorenz (User Mag) breaks down the world of AI ... Show More
47m 50s
Apr 15
Polymarket and Kalshi Have a Problem with Nepo Baby Insider Trading - The Story
What do frat boys, nepo babies and the Super Bowl have in common? Prediction markets. Wall Street Journal investigative reporter Katherine Long tells us how information from Jeff Bezos's stepson sparked a bet worth nearly a million dollars, and how a rumor loosely tied to Mark Wa ... Show More
31m 43s
Apr 15
Smart Talks with IBM Returns April 21
In Smart Talks with IBM Season 7, Malcolm Gladwell reveals how global brands are applying AI and technology to reshape experiences and help solve complex challenges. Go behind the scenes with HEINEKEN, UFC, and Cleveland Clinic. New episodes drop April 21. This is a paid advertis ... Show More
1m 53s
Recommended Episodes
Sep 2023
The 2023 Ig Nobel Prizes, Part 1
It’s that time of year again! Join Robert and Joe as they discuss some of this year’s Ig Nobel prize-winning scientific studies and papers – honored as always for first making us laugh, then making us think. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 
46m 7s
Oct 2020
The Nobels Overwhelmingly Go to Men — This Year's Prize For Medicine Was No Exception
From who historically wins the awards, to how they portray the process of science and collaboration, host Maddie Sofia and NPR science correspondent Nell Greenfieldboyce discuss the many problems with Nobel Prizes in science. Email the show at shortwave@npr.org. See pcm.adswizz.c ... Show More
13m 54s
Nov 2020
The 2020 Ig Nobel Prizes
As usual, Robert and Joe take time in early November to discuss some of the winners from this year's Ig Nobel Prizes -- the awards ceremony that celebrates the weirder and more absurd corners of very real scientific investigation. This year, it's frozen feces knives, narcissistic ... Show More
57m 6s
Oct 2021
Nobel Prize 2.0
The Nobel Prize has rewarded some amazing discoveries. It’s also contributed to scientific tunnel vision. This week, how the Nobel impacted our understanding of an enormous cosmic mystery, and what a new and improved Nobel Prize could look like. For more, go to http://vox.com/une ... Show More
25m 37s
Nov 2022
The 2022 Ig Nobel Prizes, Part 1
It’s that time of year again! Join Robert and guest co-host Seth as they discuss some of this year’s Ig Nobel prize-winning scientific studies and papers – honored as always for first making us laugh, then making us think.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 
50m 5s
Nov 2022
The 2022 Ig Nobel Prizes, Part 2
It’s that time of year again! Join Robert and guest co-host Seth as they discuss some of this year’s Ig Nobel prize-winning scientific studies and papers – honored as always for first making us laugh, then making us think.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 
52m 10s
Dec 2021
2021 Ig Nobel Prize Grab Bag, Part 2
Once more, Robert and Joe consult the winners of the Ig-Nobel Prizes for a few examples of the hilarious and the weird from the world of legitimate scientific research. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy ... Show More
45m 7s
Sep 2023
160 - 2023 Ig Nobel Prizes
tail spinning
1h 1m
Feb 2022
How the Nobel Peace Prize Works
The Nobel Peace Prize is perhaps the most prestigious award in the world, yet there are plenty of other similar awards. What is it about this one that makes it so honored? And how did the guy who invented dynamite end up creating a peace award? Learn more about your ad-choices at ... Show More
50m 29s