Science and sensibility

Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA

For the first time a New Zealand researcher has been awarded the sought after Ig Nobel prize. James Watson , an historian from Massey University was awarded this year's Ig Nobel for Agricultural Science in recognition of his scholarly work The Significance of Mr. Richard Buckley's Exploding Trousers in a ceremony at Harvard University on Thursday. Mr Watson's work was on the use of the highly flammable chemical sodium chlorate as a herbicide in New Zealand. He was unavailable for comment when this post was published

The Ig Nobel prize is a more recent accompaniment to the Nobel Prize, the latter being generally considered the highest honour a researcher can achieve. Whereas the Nobel is awarded to those researchers who, in the view of the awarding committee, 'have conferred the greatest benefit on mankind' the Ig Nobel is presented for research that "cannot or should not be reproduced". The creator of the awards, Marc Abrahams, adds that they "honour achievements that first make people laugh, and then make them think".

Though Mr Watson is the first New Zealander to be awarded an Ig Nobel two kiwis have received Nobel prizes. In 1908 Ernest, Lord Rutherford was awarded the Nobel Prize for Chemistry "for his investigations into the disintegration of the elements, and the chemistry of radioactive substances" Maurice Wilkins won the 1962 Nobel Prize for Medicine or Physiology for his part in uncovering the double helical structure of the DNA molecule. Interestingly Wilkins award was shared between himself, Francis Crick and a Mr James Watson.

More information on this years Ig Nobel winners can be found here