Cockroach Milk, How to Blow Your Nose, and Mosquito Printers: The Ig Nobels of 2026

🇺🇸 영어 원문

Every year, the prizes recognize the weirdest research that often raises some very serious scientific questions.

Achievements that first make people laugh and then make them think. That’s the motto of the Ig Nobel Prizes, an annual competition that—parodying the Nobel Prizes—recognizes some of the world’s most unusual scientific studies. The organization Improbable Research has been hosting the event since 1991 with the aim of showing that science also has a humorous side in its quest to meaningfully answer questions about the world.

This year the ceremony was held in Zurich, Switzerland, and recognized 10 research projects ranging from an attempt to scientifically define what a kiss is to an experiment that used buried underwear to assess soil health.

What exactly is a kiss? A group of researchers decided to establish a scientific definition that would apply to all animals, not just humans. They came up with the categorization that a kiss is “a non-agonistic interaction involving directed intraspecific oral-oral contact, with some movement of the lips or oral structures and without the transfer of food.” By this definition, other great ape species are also kissers, so are domestic dogs and cats as well as pigeons, penguins, squirrels, black bears, and tortoises—though not all of these kisses have the same meaning.

In the study “Higher Social Class Predicts Increased Unethical Behavior,” published in PNAS, researchers conducted seven experiments to investigate whether socioeconomic status was linked to unethical behaviors, such as breaking traffic rules, failing to yield the right of way, cheating, and even taking candy from children. Spoiler: Yes, it seems that more money does mean more problems—creating more problems at least. The results suggest that people from higher social classes have, on average, a greater tendency to prioritize self-interest. Who knew.

Yet another study suggesting that the future of nutrition may lie in insects. The “milk” in question is a high-protein substance produced by mother cockroaches of the species Diploptera punctata, which concentrate proteins, fats, and sugars into an extremely energy-dense form. A team of scientists analyzed the crystals that form inside the embryos to understand how these crystals store so many nutrients in such a tiny space.

This is probably the most popular study in the competition because of the story behind it. It’s a posthumous award to scientist Unno Tokuji, who spent his final years studying the correct way to blow one’s nose. He analyzed everything from the aerodynamics and volume of nasal breathing to the pressure exerted on the ears. The recommendation was to blow one nostril at a time when one is more congested than the other and to do so with a long, relatively forceful exhalation, rather than a short, weak blow.

🇰🇷 한국어 요약

이번 글은 2026년 이그노벨상(Ig Nobel Prize)에 대해 소개합니다. 이그노벨상은 먼저 웃음을 주지만, 그 뒤에 진지한 과학적 질문을 떠올리게 하는 특이한 연구들을 격려하는 상입니다. 2026년 시상식은 스위스 취리히에서 열렸으며, 키스의 과학적 정의, 사회경제적 계층과 비윤리적 행동의 관계, 바퀴벌레 우유와 같은 연구들이 소개되었습니다. 특히 한 연구팀은 ‘키스’를 포유류뿐 아니라 다양한 동물에게 적용할 수 있는 과학적 범주로 정의했습니다. 또 다른 연구는 소득이나 지위가 높은 사람들이 자기를 더 우선시하는 행동에 더 기울어질 수 있다는 점을 보여 주었습니다. 청소년 여러분도 과학은 무겁고 어렵기만 한 것이 아니라, 삶 속의 작은 호기심을 실험으로 탐구하는 과정이라는 점을 떠올려 보세요. 이 글은 과학에 대한 재미와 진지한 사고를 동시에 자극하는 좋은 예가 될 수 있습니다.

🔑 핵심 단어 (Vocabulary)

weird – 기이한, 특이한 – the prizes recognize the weirdest research
prizes – 상, 부상 – Every year, the prizes recognize unusual scientific studies
motto – 좌우명, 모토 – That’s the motto of the Ig Nobel Prizes
parodying – 조롱하다, 패러디하다 – that—parodying the Nobel Prizes—recognizes
unusual – 보통 아닌, 특이한 – the world’s most unusual scientific studies
define – 정의하다 – an attempt to scientifically define what a kiss is
intraspecific – 종내의, 같은 종의 – directed intraspecific oral-oral contact
socioeconomic – 사회경제적인 – socioeconomic status was linked to unethical behaviors
posthumous – 사후에 이루어진 – a posthumous award to scientist Unno Tokuji
exhalation – 숨을 내쉬는 것 – a long, relatively forceful exhalation

🔗 원문 링크

https://www.wired.com/story/cockroach-milk-mosquito-printers-ig-nobels-of-2026/