Ig Nobel Prize Ceremony Moves from US to Europe After 35 Years

The Ig Nobel Prize ceremony will be held outside the United States for the first time in its 35-year history, moving to Zurich, Switzerland on September 3. Marc Abrahams, organizer of the satirical awards that honor achievements that "first make people laugh, and then make them think," cited concerns about the state of science in America under the Trump administration as a factor in the relocation. The ceremony had been held exclusively at prestigious American universities including Harvard, MIT, and Boston University from 1991 until last year. Abrahams expressed concerns that most winners would be reluctant to travel to the United States, describing the current treatment of scientists in America as problematic. The move represents a significant shift for the ceremony, which parodies the Nobel Prizes by recognizing unusual or trivial achievements in scientific research.