A team of researchers from Japan wondered if painting cows with zebralike stripes would prevent flies from biting them. “When I did this experiment, I hoped that I would win the Ig Nobel. The Ig Nobel Prize for pediatrics is accepted by Julie Mennella and Gary Beauchamp, for studying what a nursing baby experiences when the baby's mother eats garlic. The Ig Nobel Prizes celebrate ALL these discoveries, because at the very first glance, who really knows?”The 35th annual Ig Nobel prize ceremony is organized by the Annals of Improbable Research, a digital magazine that highlights research that makes people laugh and then think. AdvertisementAudience members toss paper airplanes during the Ig Nobel Prize award ceremony, Thursday, Sept. 18, 2025, in Boston.