It's Ignobel time again

**MRT** · 5th October 2007, 09:22 AM

Always fun - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7026150.stm

**median** · 6th October 2007, 10:11 AM

Dan Meyer, executive director of Sword Swallowing Association International and an author of the British Medical Journal paper Sword Swallowing and its Side-Effects, said: "I was surprised and extremely honoured when I found out I was not only nominated for an Ig Nobel prize but that I had won it. I couldn't believe it."

He told the BBC News website that the study revealed that when professional sword swallowers ingested a single sword very carefully, it did not do much harm, but swallowing many swords, strangely shaped blades, or being distracted when swallowing, could cause injury.

The findings also suggested that sword swallowers should not swallow swords if they already had a sore throat, he said.

I'll remember that

**Melanie** · 6th October 2007, 11:38 AM

"Biology - Dr Johanna van Bronswijk of the Netherlands for carrying out a creepy crawly census of all of the mites, insects, spiders, ferns and fungi that share our beds."

Ferns????

**Lord Muck oGentry** · 6th October 2007, 12:14 PM

" Linguistics - A University of Barcelona team for showing that rats are unable to tell the difference between a person speaking Japanese backwards and somebody speaking Dutch backwards."

Ummmm, how...why...

**Muttley** · 6th October 2007, 01:17 PM

I liked last year's winner - a sonic device that repels teenagers. I can't imagine why it's not widely on sale by now.

**Julia** · 7th October 2007, 01:40 PM

"On sale"?! It should be made available on the NHS!

**Matt** · 8th October 2007, 08:53 AM

Originally Posted by Muttley

I liked last year's winner - a sonic device that repels teenagers. I can't imagine why it's not widely on sale by now.

They did sell it - to teenagers as a ring tone that their teachers couldn't hear

**Cuddles** · 8th October 2007, 09:34 AM

Originally Posted by Muttley

I liked last year's winner - a sonic device that repels teenagers. I can't imagine why it's not widely on sale by now.

Maybe it is, you just can't hear it.

Seriously though, the main problem is that it doesn't target teenagers, just anyone with decent hearing. It's all very well stopping groups of kids hanging around outside your shop, but if you scare away half your customers at the same time it's not really much use. There's also the rights issue that it's not actually illegal to hang around in groups in public areas, so the device is probably illegal to use in most places.