8legs: Annals of improbable research

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The Ig Nobel ceremony is moving from the United States to Europe for the first time, due to visa safety concerns for attendees.
Zurich will host the 36th Ig Nobel ceremony, marking a change from the usual U.S. venue in September.
Organizers cite that traveling to the U.S. has become unsafe for guests, prompting the relocation.
The move aligns the ceremony with European hosts from ETH Domain and the University of Zurich, ensuring collaboration with local institutions.
Past winners traveled to the U.S. to receive prizes and were celebrated with paper airplanes, a tradition the move disrupts for now.
Milo Puhan of Zurich welcomed the move, noting the Ig Nobel Prize makes research visible with a wink.
Abrahams said the ceremony will rotate to other European cities between Zurich events, expanding the prize’s European footprint.
The AP coverage places the move in the context of broader U.S. immigration and visa policy concerns under President Trump.
The 10-category awards program continues, including winners from Europe and Africa in the previous year.
There are currently no immediate plans to return the Ig Nobel ceremony to the United States, reinforcing the European relocation.
The AP report highlights the Ig Nobel tradition of combining science with humor to make research visible worldwide.

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#2 out of 3

1d ago

The Ig Nobel Prize ceremony will move from the United States to Zurich, Switzerland, due to visa safety concerns for attendees.
The 36th Ig Nobel ceremony will be held in Zurich, with future events planned in other European cities.
Marc Abrahams, editor of the Annals of Improbable Research, said shifts are due to safety concerns for guests traveling to the USA this year.
Switzerland will host the ceremony in collaboration with ETH Domain and the University of Zurich.
The awards recognize quirky scientific work with practical implications, continuing a tradition of making research visible with a wink.
Previous winners include studies on zebralike cow stripes and lizard-preferred pizza, illustrating the light-hearted nature of Ig Nobel research.
A Swiss speaker welcomed the move, noting the prize highlights improbable yet thoughtful research.
The ceremony will continue to honor ten categories of awards, with winners traveling from Europe and beyond.
The US-based venue tradition is paused for 2026, with a pro-European expansion plan.

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#3 out of 3

The Ig Nobel Prize ceremony is moving from the United States to Europe due to visa and travel concerns for attendees.
The 36th Ig Nobel ceremony will be held in Zurich, with alternating European host cities in between.
Marc Abrahams said the move was due to safety concerns for guests visiting the U.S. this year.
Some winners chose not to travel to Boston for last year’s ceremony, prompting the relocation.
The ceremony will be produced in collaboration with ETH Domain institutions and the University of Zurich.
Ig Nobel biology award was among the prizes cited in the article as an example of past winners.
Organizers suggested Zurich offers a historically supportive environment, referencing Einstein and the cuckoo clock as positives.
There are no immediate plans to return the ceremony to the United States.
Ig Nobel Prize winners have previously included international teams and inventive studies on diverse topics.
The 36th Ig Nobel ceremony will be held in Zurich every other year, with other European cities hosting in between.

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