Was the 2012 ig-Nobel Prize Ceremony Yesterday?

  • Thread starter f95toli
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In summary, the ceremony for the 2012 Ig Nobel Prize was held yesterday. This year's winning research focused on more serious topics but still had some amusing entries, such as the acoustic prize for a system that uses delayed auditory feedback to slow down patients in stuttering therapy. The literature prize was awarded to the US Government General Accountability Office for a report about reports about reports. The neuroscience prize was given to a study that used fMRI to show neural activation in a dead salmon, highlighting the need for more rigorous analysis techniques. The event itself was entertaining, with Miss Sweety Poo cutting off speakers and the audience shouting "woo!" at the mention of the night's theme.
  • #1
f95toli
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The ceremony was yesterday(?).

http://www.improbable.com/ig/2012/

I had a look at the list of winners and noticed that this year most of the research was a bit more serious than usual; albeit dealing with what on paper looks like strange topics.
Most of the results have been published in good journals, and I think the ponytail-paper (which was published in PRL) even got a mention in Physics.

Still amusing:approve:
 
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  • #2
The acoustic prize ("SpeechJammer: A System Utilizing Artificial Speech Disturbance with Delayed Auditory Feedback") is just a new application of an old idea. Delayed auditory feedback is used to slow down patients in the stuttering therapy.
 
  • #3
Literature Prize: The US Government General Accountability Office for issuing a report about reports about reports that recommends the preparation of a report about the report about reports about reports.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-19667664

:smile:
 
  • #4
Reports about reports reminds me of this old story.
http://home.comcast.net/~bcleere/texts/draper.html
 
  • #5
The work done by the winners of the neuroscience prize is actually quite neat.
It is obviously done tongue-in-check, but the fact that they use what I understand to be a standard (but sloppy) analysis in fMRI and -based on said analysis- reach the conclusion that there is neural activation in the salmon when it is shown photos makes the point:
that other techniques need to be used as well to rule out false positives(in this case something called multiple comparison correction).

I found a blog about it
http://neuroskeptic.blogspot.co.uk/2009/09/fmri-gets-slap-in-face-with-dead-fish.html

and the poster is also available online
http://prefrontal.org/files/posters/Bennett-Salmon-2009.pdf
 
  • #6
I was in attendance last night! Was my first Ig Nobel ceremony, and it was GLORIOUS. They had two little girls as Miss Sweety Poo, who would cut the speakers off after one minute, the crowd shouted "woo!" every time the night's theme "The Universe" was mentioned, and the paper airplanes were fun. It was a great time.
 

Related to Was the 2012 ig-Nobel Prize Ceremony Yesterday?

1. What is the 2012 Ig Nobel Prize?

The Ig Nobel Prizes are a parody of the Nobel Prizes, awarded annually to honor achievements that "first make people laugh, and then make them think." The 2012 Ig Nobel Prize ceremony was held on September 20th, 2012 at Harvard University.

2. Who won the 2012 Ig Nobel Prize?

The 2012 Ig Nobel Prize winners included a variety of scientists, researchers, and individuals from around the world. Some notable winners include the Psychology Prize for studying why people sigh, the Peace Prize for measuring the amount of friction between a shoe and a banana peel, and the Medicine Prize for testing the effectiveness of a roller coaster in passing kidney stones.

3. What is the purpose of the Ig Nobel Prize?

The Ig Nobel Prize aims to celebrate and honor unusual and imaginative research that may seem silly or trivial, but actually has real-world applications and implications. The ceremony also serves to highlight the importance of humor and curiosity in the scientific community.

4. How are the Ig Nobel Prize winners chosen?

The Ig Nobel Prize winners are chosen by the editors of the Annals of Improbable Research, a science humor magazine. The winners are selected from nominations submitted by the general public and then reviewed by a panel of scientists, Nobel laureates, and other experts.

5. What is the significance of the 2012 Ig Nobel Prize?

The 2012 Ig Nobel Prize serves as a reminder that science and research can be both amusing and enlightening. It also demonstrates the importance of thinking outside the box and exploring unconventional ideas in the pursuit of knowledge.

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