Ig Nobel 2026: a mosquito in the printer and underpants underground

A mosquito usually holds our attention only until we chase it out of the bedroom. Some researchers saw something else in it: a part for a 3D printer. If that sounds like the start of a joke, you are in the right place. The 2026 Ig Nobel Prizes once again highlighted research that makes us laugh before prompting some very serious questions.

This year, the paper planes landed in Zurich

The ceremony took place on 3 September 2026 at Kongresshaus Zurich. After 35 ceremonies in the United States, the event had its first European stage. Ten new winners were introduced, with real Nobel laureates including Esther Duflo, Abhijit Banerjee, Michel Mayor and Tim Hunt presenting the prizes.

The audience showered the stage with paper planes. The programme also included “24/7” lectures: explain a subject in 24 seconds, then in seven words. A scientific conference where a speaker cannot open a thirtieth slide? That already sounds like a small victory.

A mosquito as a 3D-printing nozzle

The technology prize went to a team that used mosquito proboscises as nozzles for high-resolution 3D printing. They named the process necroprinting. A tiny biological structure took the place of an entirely artificial component.

The idea is entertaining because it reverses our usual relationship with a mosquito: an annoyance becomes a useful experimental tool. It also raises an appealing question for anyone interested in technology. How many solutions already exist in nature while we try to build them from scratch? There is plenty of work between a surprising experiment and a practical product, but the initial question is worth asking.

Underpants on a scientific expedition

The soil science prize recognised researchers who buried 1,000 identical pairs of underpants in more than 25 countries, then dug them up two months later. The work concerns soil health and cotton decomposition. Underwear became a tool for revealing activity beneath our feet.

There is a lovely communication trick here. The phrase “soil processes” may not immediately spark much interest. Buried underpants are unforgettable. An everyday object introduces a world we rarely see, despite its importance to gardens, fields and meadows.

Other prizes recognised attempts to design a splash-free urinal and a more precise biological definition of kissing. The topics could easily be mistaken for a conversation between friends one evening. The difference is that researchers tested or analysed their ideas and documented them in scientific publications.

Entertainment that leaves a question in your head

The organisers celebrate achievements that inspire laughter followed by thought. The event brings together awards, stage antics and music. Its strangeness helps introduce science to people who might otherwise never open a research paper.

What is most interesting is how quickly our response can change. First we wonder why anyone would investigate such a thing. A minute later, we are wondering how the experiment was performed, what was measured and whether the result would hold elsewhere. Humour opens the door to curiosity; a good explanation keeps us in the room.

That makes the ceremony recording an enjoyable choice for an evening when you want to watch something unusual. Next time a mosquito appears, a printer might cross your mind too. For a paper plane, an ordinary sheet of paper will still do.

Video: the complete 2026 Ig Nobel ceremony

The official Improbable Research channel hosts the recording of the full event.

Watch the full ceremony on YouTube

Sources:

• Improbable Research: 2026 Ig Nobel winners and research publications
• Improbable Research: the 2026 ceremony in Zurich
• Improbable Research: about the prizes and ceremony photographs
• Improbable Research: official 2026 ceremony recording

This article was created with the assistance of AI.

AI translated