• Richard Branson and Ray Dalio Have No Tolerance for Office Gossip: Why Some Billionaires Are Willing to Fire Employees Over It

  Men who gossip about their colleagues behind their backs could be putting their careers at risk. A new study by the University of Iowa and the University of New Mexico has found that men who gossip are perceived as less competent and are less likely to be seen as leadership material than women who engage in exactly the same behavior....

• Threw a Plate of Spaghetti in Her Face: Bride Explodes After Bridesmaid Refuses to Gain 120 Pounds

  A bride sparked an outrageous row after demanding that her best friend gain more than 120 pounds (54kg) so she could look like the slimmest woman at her own wedding. The bizarre story has gone viral, with thousands of social media users rallying behind the woman who shared her experience, the New York Post reports...

• Groom's X-Rated Antics at the Altar Turn Wedding Kiss into Scandal, Leaving Guests Stunned

  A video showing a groom's outrageous behavior at his own wedding has taken social media by storm. In a rather unconventional way of celebrating his big “I do,” the man skipped the traditional altar kiss, buried his face in his bride's cleavage and began shaking his head. His provocative stunt made the newlywed burst into laughter but left etiquette experts outraged...

• Three Hours for Makeup and Household Chores: Japanese Prime Minister’s Admission Sparks Public Debate

  Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has said her daily schedule is significantly more demanding than those of her male predecessors. In addition to her official duties, she spends several hours a day on makeup, bathing, cooking and other household tasks. Her remarks have sparked a heated debate about gender stereotypes and the expectations placed on Japanese women, The New York Times reports...

• “Grandparents Now Need Permission to Hug”: Controversial Ad Pulled After Backlash

  A controversy has erupted in Ireland over a public awareness campaign urging grandparents to ask their grandchildren for permission before hugging them. The video, created by the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre and funded by the Department of Justice, sparked accusations of absurd political correctness, disrespect toward older people and the misuse of public funds. The justice minister eventually demanded that the video be taken down...

• The Pharaohs Forgot to Sign the Paperwork: Scottish Museum Removes Mummies Over Lack of Consent

  A scandal worthy of a museum exhibit of its own has erupted in Scotland: ancient Egyptian remains have been removed from a Glasgow museum because people who died thousands of years ago never gave permission for their bodies to be displayed in public. Visitors are now greeted by explanatory signs instead of mummies — apparently the safest exhibit in an era when even pharaohs have suddenly been found to have personal-boundary issues...

• Hermès Steps Up Boutique Security After Riots in France

  French luxury house Hermès has tightened security at its stores following widespread protests in France, during which one of the brand’s boutiques in Marseille was looted. The company is also facing a new challenge: demand for its products is slowing, and sales of clothing and accessories have declined for the first time in several years, Reuters reports...

• Outrage Over Inaccessible Luxury: Why Dior and Hermès Boutiques Were Looted in France

  Riots in France have led to the looting of boutiques belonging to Dior, Celine, Hermès, Louis Vuitton and Saint Laurent. Images of ransacked stores have become some of the most widely discussed scenes from the protests sweeping the country. But, as The New York Times fashion critic Vanessa Friedman observes, the attacks on luxury brands may reflect not only street violence but also growing resentment over social inequality...

The annual Ig Nobel Prizes have once again been awarded, honoring scientific discoveries that “first make people laugh, and then make them think.”

The winners received their prizes from genuine Nobel laureates, after which the audience, as tradition dictates, was showered with paper airplanes.

This year’s laureates include researchers who studied the proper way to blow your nose, the smell of puberty, the appeal of nasty friends — and why wealthy people are apparently more likely to steal candy meant for children.

The annual ceremony, organized by the science-humor magazine Annals of Improbable Research, once again showcased some of the world’s most eccentric scientific studies.

• Medicine Prize (posthumously): Nearly 50 years ago, Dr. Toyuki Unno of Wakayama Medical College in Japan measured the speed and volume of air produced during a forceful exhalation. Researchers found that the most effective way to clear the nasal passages is a “big and prolonged” blow rather than a series of short, sharp attempts.
• Olfaction Prize: A team of German researchers found that babies smell remarkably wonderful to their parents — but that this “divine scent” disappears dramatically once children reach puberty. According to the scientists, the pleasant smell of babies may have evolved to strengthen bonding and encourage parental care, while there is no longer any evolutionary need for the same effect once children become teenagers.
• Peace Prize: Scientists from Oklahoma State University found that people place a surprisingly high value on friends who are hostile toward their enemies. Individuals tend to choose companions who are willing to act aggressively toward their personal adversaries.
• Economics Prize: Researchers discovered that members of higher socioeconomic groups are significantly more likely to steal sweets intended for children. In experiments, wealthier participants secretly took more candy from jars designated for children than people with lower incomes.

Other Unusual Winners

• Biology: For research into the evolution of kissing and a precise scientific definition of the behavior: “nonagonistic interaction involving directed oral-to-oral contact… without the transfer of food.” Scientists found evidence that ancient humans kissed Neanderthals as far back as 50,000 years ago.
• Biology: For the remarkably brave researchers who carefully stepped on venomous snakes in order to determine exactly what triggers the reptiles to attack.
• Chemistry: For discovering that cockroach milk proteins contain three times more energy than cow’s milk.
• Physics: For developing a splash-proof urinal designed to work regardless of the user’s height or angle of approach — a concept originally proposed by a team from the University of Waterloo.
• Technology: For using 3D printing to create an exact replica of a mosquito’s proboscis — the specialized mouthpart it uses to draw blood.
• Soil Science: For an ambitious project by Swiss researchers from the University of Zurich, who buried 1,000 identical pairs of underwear in more than 25 countries around the world. Two months later, they dug them back up to assess soil health and measure the activity of bacteria, worms and insects.

Science Has Never Been This Strange

From the optimal way to blow your nose to the precise moment when babies stop smelling heavenly — and from snake-stomping experiments to a global underwear burial project — the 2026 Ig Nobel winners once again demonstrate that science can be both genuinely useful and completely bizarre.

And that, after all, is exactly the point of the Ig Nobels: research that makes you laugh first — and think about it afterward.

Follow NEWS.am STYLE on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram