No Ig® Nobel Prize in physics for 2018

  • Thread starter Thread starter Keith_McClary
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Nobel prize Physics
Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the absence of an Ig® Nobel Prize in physics for the year 2018, with participants reflecting on the implications and cultural aspects of this event. The conversation touches on the nature of humor in scientific research and the potential for a dedicated space for lighter, unconventional ideas within the Physics Forums community.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Meta-discussion

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants note that there has been a Physics Prize every year except 1991 and 1994, suggesting a historical consistency in awarding the prize.
  • Others humorously remark that physicists may have been particularly serious in 2018, implying a lack of lighthearted contributions.
  • One participant highlights a specific example of humor in research, referencing a paper that includes an obscene word in its title, which they find amusing.
  • There is a suggestion from a participant that the strict posting guidelines on Physics Forums may contribute to the absence of humorous or unconventional discussions.
  • Another participant echoes the idea of creating a section for "IgNoble Ideas," indicating a desire for more lighthearted content, while also suggesting that such ideas may already exist but are not easily found.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express a mix of humor and critique regarding the absence of the prize, with some agreeing on the need for a space for unconventional ideas, while others reflect on the seriousness of the scientific community. No consensus is reached on the reasons behind the lack of an Ig® Nobel Prize in physics for 2018.

Contextual Notes

The discussion does not delve into specific criteria for the Ig® Nobel Prize or the nature of contributions that would qualify for such recognition, leaving these aspects open to interpretation.

Keith_McClary
Messages
752
Reaction score
1,506
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: DrClaude
Physics news on Phys.org
Physicists were very serious this year :wink:
 
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: Swamp Thing
I like how the researchers were able to sneak in an obscene word in the title of a scientific paper:
LITERATURE PRIZE [AUSTRALIA, EL SALVADOR, UK] — Thea Blackler, Rafael Gomez, Vesna Popovic and M. Helen Thompson, for documenting that most people who use complicated products do not read the instruction manual.

REFERENCE: "Life Is Too Short to RTFM: How Users Relate to Documentation and Excess Features in Consumer Products," Alethea L. Blackler, Rafael Gomez, Vesna Popovic and M. Helen Thompson, Interacting With Computers, vol. 28, no. 1, 2014, pp. 27-46.
 
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: DennisN
I think this is because Physics Forums is a bit too strict about what you can post / discuss.

Maybe we should start a section called IgNoble Ideas.
 
Swamp Thing said:
Maybe we should start a section called IgNoble Ideas.
Oh, they are present, just scattered around a bit!
(and I suspect many more than we see are expunged)
 

Similar threads

Predictions for the 2022 Physics Nobel Prize
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
2K
Is This Year's Physics Nobel on Advances in AI Physics?
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
2K
Graduate Predictions for Physics Nobel Prize 2024 (and the results)
  • · Replies 37 ·
2
Replies
37
Views
11K
Graduate Nobel Prize 2023: Attosecond pulses
  • · Replies 8 ·
Replies
8
Views
1K
Graduate RIP Leon N Cooper (1930 - 2024) - Nobel 1972
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
2K
Future Nobel laureates in physics?
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
2K
RIP physicist Arno Penzias, 1978 Nobel Laureate in physics
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
1K
Graduate Predictions for the Nobel Prize in Physics 2025 (results: John Clarke, Michel H. Devoret and John M. Martinis)
  • · Replies 37 ·
2
Replies
37
Views
7K
Graduate RIP Tsung-Dao Lee (1926-2024), Nobel 1957
  • · Replies 7 ·
Replies
7
Views
2K
The 2020 Nobel Prize in Physics goes to....
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
1K