Is silly science a waste of time? As serious climate and health research faces Trump-era cuts in the USA, Ig Nobel prize winners turn odd questions into unexpected insights.
Discovered! Lizards’ favourite pizza
Cheesy: Scientists in Togo, Africa, explored how wildlife is adapting to urban life by stealing tourists' pizzas. Comprehension quiz
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Which word is the closest synonym for ‘adept’?
A: Unfamiliar
B: Skilled
C: Unsuited
D: Slow
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According to the text, what did the Japanese biology team discover?
A: That flies are not attracted to the smell of cows.
B: That zebras are bitten by flies more often than cows are.
C: That a new type of pesticide is effective on livestock.
D: That painting cows with black and white stripes reduced the number of fly bites.
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What subject did Dr William Bean meticulously document for 35 years?
A: The eating habits of rainbow lizards.
B: The effect of alcohol on bats.
C: The growth rate of his own fingernails and toenails.
D: The physics of making pasta sauce.
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The word ‘satirical’ in this context means:
A: A surprising or unexpected event.
B: Something that is funny and comical.
C: Using humour or ridicule to criticise or draw attention to something.
D: An award for unimportant or silly achievements.
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According to the article, what were the two effects of alcohol on the Egyptian fruit bats’ flying?
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In your own words, what is the main purpose of the Ig Nobel Prize?
Answers
Tap to reveal
1. B 2. D 3. C 4. C 5. The text states that their ability to echolocate was hampered and they were slower to fly. 6. The purpose of the prize is to use humour to celebrate scientific research that seems silly or unusual but which also highlights important or unexpected discoveries.
1. B 2. D 3. C 4. C 5. The text states that their ability to echolocate was hampered and they were slower to fly. 6. The purpose of the prize is to use humour to celebrate scientific research that seems silly or unusual but which also highlights important or unexpected discoveries.
Glossary
Nobel prize - One of a set of prizes, laid out in the will of Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, given each year to people who "have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
Satirical - Intended to ridicule shortcomings in society. It was once mistakenly thought to derive from the ancient Greek "satyr" plays about creatures that were half-man, half-goat.
Pesticide - A substance used for destroying insects or other organisms.
Ethanol - Often simply called alcohol, a colourless liquid created by fermenting sugars.
Echolocate - A process through which animals such as bats find their way in the dark by producing sound waves that echo off surfaces.
Posthumously - After death. It derives from two Latin words meaning after and ground.
Cacio e pepe - A pasta dish from Italy containing pecorino romano cheese and black pepper.