IG Nobel prize in the U.S. awarded to Volkswagen, man-RAM and a connoisseur of underwear – TASS

NEW YORK, September 23. /Offset. TASS Alexey Kachalin/. The culprit is oil companies company Volkswagen, the author of three books on collecting a single species of insect, the researcher of the sexual life of rodents and wannabe habits of animals became the owners of the IG Nobel prize (Ig Nobel Prize), awarded for original ideas and absurd scientific achievements. The award ceremony was held on Thursday at Harvard University (Massachusetts) in the USA.

“Diesel scandal” have earned recognition

a Logical prize for ingenuity marked carmaker Volkswagen for the software (SOFTWARE), allowing to circumvent the existing strict requirements regarding the content of harmful substances in exhaust gases. The investigation against the auto giant has been launched in several countries in Europe and Asia.

Volkswagen has agreed to spend about 16.5 billion dollars in compensation, repair, or repurchase approximately 475 thousand sold in the US cars with two-liter diesel engines. In the machines you specified.

the life of insects and animals

Another prize was awarded to the Swedish entomologist Fredrik Soberg, who published three volumes of studies of two-winged insects called gorzalka. As noted by the founders of the awards, three volumes of Swedish, recently published in English, is a bestseller in his native island. “I’m 15 years wrote books which nobody read, until I realized that it is better to write about what you know well. The topic is not important” – leads the Agency of Associated Press the words of the scientist, who dreams of becoming a rock star. “Wearing leather pants, sunglasses, acquire fans,” he added.

Egyptian Ahmad Shafik won antinobelevskoy a premium to those that wondered, underwear what material affects the mating of rodents. Cairo University Professor empirically found that mouse in the pants of polyester because of the properties of this synthetic fabric to neelektrizuyuscheysya have a negative impact on the libido of the rats. Shafiq was unable to attend the ceremony in the United States died in 2007.

Another winner of the award was a scholarship holder at Oxford University in England Charles foster. He spent months alternately portrayed mountain sheep, Yak, Fox, deer and birds, imitating them in everything, to see the world through their eyes. Your observations and impressions of the researcher outlined in the book “to Be a beast.” He had hard times, “I have often hunted,” says the Briton.

Remedy for itching and a survey of liars

Andreas Sprenger from the University of the German city of lübeck was opened by the simplest remedy for itching, for example, the skin of the hands. For this you need to look in the mirror and scratching the other arm. Thus, itchy limb not suffer so much from scratching.

Professor of psychology from the American Vanderbilt University (Tennessee) Gordon Logan with colleagues from Canada and Europe pleased the sociological survey of more than 1 thousand people in the age category from six to 77 years. The results of the studies revealed that the most consummate liars are young people. Logan asked why he co-authors so sure that the respondents did not lie to him. “But we are not sure about it”, – said the psychologist.

Antinobelevskoy the prize is awarded “for achievements that first make laugh and then reflect.” It was established in 1991 by the magazine Annals of improbable research”. Since 1999 the prize is awarded in 10 fields – part of the nominations coincide with the Nobel, the remaining established each year separately. The awards the winners received from the hands of Nobel laureates from different years.