Ig Nobel Winners and Nobel Laureates show that they are capable of standing up

So  something awesome and bacteria-themed happened on September 30, 2010, at Sanders Theater, at approximately 7:38 p.m., eight minutes after schedule.  Every year, the people behind the Annals of Improbable Research (AIR) host the Ig Nobel Awards as a response to less prestigious awards ceremonies to celebrate research that “makes you laugh, then think [how the fuck did they get money for this?]“.  Past Ig Nobel awards have been given to the likes of Kees Moeliker, a Dutch scientist who discovered homosexual necrophilia in ducks (Biology, 2003), and Shigeru Watanabe, Junko Sakamoto, and Masumi Wakita, of Keio University, for teaching pigeons how to tell Monet and Picasso paintings apart (Psychology, 1995).  The awards are presented by

bemused Nobel Laureates.

This year, new inductees to the venerable group include Italian scientists who mathematically proved that it’s more efficient for organizations to promote people at random (Management), American scientists who showed that microbes do indeed adhere to beards (Public Health), and a Chinese-English team that documented fellatio in fruit bats (Biology).  If you want actually know the names of these people and see pictures of people with lots of facial hair, check out the website.

Between awards presentations, there was an opera about bacteria, paper plane throwing, and a chance to win a date with a Nobel Laureate.

Also, AMANDA FUCKING PALMER of Dresden Dolls fame, presented the actual awards (a petri dish glued to what appeared to be a piece of cardboard) and performed as a musical guest as the left half of music duo Evelyn Evelyn, which sang a song about elephants.  And then another one about bacteria.

Didn’t win an Ig Nobel?  Didn’t go to the Ig Nobel Awards?  DEFINITELY do it next year!

Wyclef Jean, the Grammy Award winning artist, will be at Harvard on February 27th to accept the 2010 Artist of the Year Award presented by the Harvard Foundation at the Cultural Rhythms show. Born in Haiti, the artist has recently garnered attention for his work in his home-country following January 12th’s devastating earthquake through the Yéle Haiti Foundation which he started up in 2005.

The afternoon show featuring Jean will take place at 3 p.m. after Jean is present at a private luncheon via Cultural Rhythms–which is celebrating its 25th year. Another 15 great student groups will also be performing throughout the day.

Past recipients of this award have gone to the likes of Matt Damon, Denzel Washington, Salma Hayek, and Sharon Stone. Student tickets for the afternoon show can be purchased for $12 and evening tickets $5. (Feb. 27)