Ig Nobel Prizes Land In Switzerland Amid Stricter US Border Policy

(MENAFN- Swissinfo) For the first time in their history, the Ig Nobel Prizes are being awarded outside the United States. On Thursday evening, Zurich's Kongresshaus will be the venue for one of the world's most unusual scientific events. Select your language

Generated with artificial intelligence. Listening: Ig Nobel Prizes land in Switzerland amid stricter US border policy This content was published on September 3, 2026 - 10:46 3 minutes Keystone-SDA

Deutsch de Erst lachen, dann denken: Die Ig-Nobelpreise kommen nach Zürich Original Read more: Erst lachen, dann denken: Die Ig-Nobelpreise kommen nach Zu

The awards recognise research that sounds so bizarre that one can't help but laugh at first. That is precisely the principle behind the Ig Nobel Prizes:“It makes people laugh, then think.”

The prizes have been awarded for 35 years. Until now, they have always been handed out in the US: the first ceremony took place in 1991 at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT); later, they were presented at Harvard University, and most recently at MIT again.

The fact that this long-standing event is leaving the US is down to changes in American immigration policy.

“The laureates travel from all over the world. With the current policy in the US, it has become more difficult to ensure that everyone can actually enter the country,” Mirko Bischofberger, one of the organisers of the Zurich Ig Nobel Prize ceremony, told the Keystone-SDA news agency. That is why they looked for a venue that would be easily accessible to the international scientific community.

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