The Annals of Improbable Research presents its "24th First Annual Ig Nobel Prize Ceremony" next Thursday, September 18, at Harvard University's Sanders Theater, and this year, the theme is food. The yearly awards recognize "achievements that first make people LAUGH, and then make them THINK," according to the event program. "The Igs are intended to spur public curiosity and interest in science and other fields of endeavor."
The sold-out ceremony (which will be webcast for those sad souls who did not buy a ticket in time) will include the world premiere of a three-act mini-opera, What's Eating You: "The story is about a couple who decide to stop eating traditional food — to instead get all their nutrients from pills, hundreds of pills per day. The trillions of microbes who live inside, on, and generally as part of them, also figure in the proceedings." Tune in at http://www.improbable.com at 6 p.m. on the 18th to watch the weirdness unfold.
Additionally, there's a brand new cookbook, inspired by this year's theme: The Ig Nobel Cookbook: Volume 1. It's written by Corky White, Gus Rancatore, and Marc Abrahams, and Rancatore's name might be familiar to you; he owns Toscanini's in Central Square. Recipes include "Delicious Cake with Cream from Contented, Named Cows," "Fartless Herring," and more.
· Ig Nobel Prizes 2014 [Official Site]
