2008 Ig Nobel Awards

The 2008 Ig Nobel Awards have been announced. These awards are given to research "that cannot, or should not, be reproduced." Some of my favourites from previous years include research into curing hiccups through "digital rectal massage", research into the brain activity of a locust watching Star Wars, testing whether we swim slower in syrup or water, and an investigation into the validity of the 5 second rule for food dropped on the floor.

Some of this years research findings include:

• Food tastes better when it sounds better (Nutrition)
• Armadillos can muck up an archaeological dig (Archaeology)
• Expensive placebos work better than cheap placebos (Medicine)
• Coca-Cola is a spermicide (Chemistry)
• Coca-Cola is actually not a very effective spermicide, although Diet Coke is slightly better than other recipes (Chemistry)

(Full list of winners with references in Wikipedia)