IG NOBEL ECONOMICS PRIZE 2026 [USA, MEXICO, CANADA] Paul Piff, Daniel Stancato, Stéphane Côté, Rodolfo Mendoza-Denton, and Dacher Keltner, for amassing evidence that upper class people are more likely to snatch from a children’s supply of candy, and engage in other kinds of unethical behavior.
REFERENCE: “Higher Social Class Predicts Increased Unethical Behavior,” Paul K. Piff, Daniel M. Stancato, Stéphane Côté, Rodolfo Mendoza-Denton, and Dacher Keltner, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, vol. 109, no. 11, 2012, pp. 4086-4091. <doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1118373109> WHO ATTENDED THE CEREMONY: Paul Piff
Why would this deserve an Ig Nobel prize? The implications of this study are important and highly relevant to the social predicament that western societies face. This is science getting directly to the root of the problem with humanity. If we want to hand out prizes ridiculing useless science, maybe consider baldness treatments etc. (hats already exist).
The stated goal of the Ig Nobel prize is to highlight science that first makes people laugh then makes them think. Its not the razzies. Its not laughing at science its having fun with it.
They do select ‘funny’ science, but not in any way to ridicule it, I think, but to highlight that science can be useful and goofy at the same time. And also because it’s fun, I guess :)
If that is their intention, I can dig it. I thought it was straight-up ridicule.