Meet the 2025 Ig Nobel Prize winners

A virtual event celebrated the winners of the 2025 Ig Nobel Prizes, an occasion where humor meets serious scientific inquiry. The awards recognize unconventional research topics that first elicit laughter and then provoke deeper thought. Among the fascinating studies presented were inquiries into whether alcohol can improve foreign language skills, the pizza preferences of West African lizards, and the effectiveness of painting cows with zebra stripes to deter biting flies. Founded in 1991, the Ig Nobel Prizes serve as a lighthearted counterpart to the more traditional Nobel Prizes. The ceremony is known for its entertaining format, which includes miniature operas and scientific demonstrations. Winners must succinctly explain their work in just 24 seconds and again in an astonishing seven words. Acceptance speeches are capped at 60 seconds, emphasizing brevity while celebrating creativity in research. The honored studies may initially seem absurd, but they carry significant scientific insight. Following the ceremony, the awardees will offer free public lectures, which will be accessible on the Improbable Research website. Among the notable winners is a team led by Tomoki Kojima, whose research explored whether zebra-like patterns on cows could help reduce the nuisance of biting flies—an issue that impacts cattle health and dairy production significantly. The economic implications of fly infestations on cattle herds cannot be overlooked, as they contribute to reduced grazing time and increased stress, ultimately affecting milk and beef yields.