Syllabus:
GS-3: Achievements of Indians in science & technology; indigenization of technology and developing new technology.
Context:
Recently, two Indians Vikash Kumar and Sarthak Mittal were awarded 2025 Ig Nobel prize in the engineering design category.
More on the News
- The 2025 ceremony hosted virtually from Harvard University’s Sanders Theatre.
- It is the 35th edition of the Ig Nobel Prize.
About 2025 Ig Nobel prize in the Engineering Design Category
- Award: Two Indian researchers received for analysing how foul-smelling shoes affect the user experience of a shoe rack.
- Publication: The study was published in 2022.
- Focus: It treated shoe odour as a legitimate ergonomic issue, demonstrating its impact on comfort and usability.
- Insight: The findings emphasized that good design must account for real-life sensory experiences, beyond aesthetics and function.
- Recognition: This is India’s 22nd Ig Nobel Prize.
About Ig Nobel Prize
- The award was founded in 1991 by the science humour magazine ‘Annals of Improbable Research’.
- Their motto, “first make people laugh, and then make them think,” highlights how seemingly whimsical studies can provide meaningful insights into psychology, biology, and other fields.
- The Ig Nobel prizes were conceived as a playful counterweight to the more austere Nobel Prizes.
- In a given year, anywhere from nine to 13 prizes are awarded.
- Categories of the 2025 Ig Nobel Prize includes: Literature, Psychology, Nutrition, Paediatrics, Biology, Chemistry, Peace, Engineering Design, Aviation and Physics.
Sources:
The Hindu.
Improbable