Summary: It's that time of year again. The Ig Noble awards are back. For those who do not know, these are mock Noble prizes given to silly science. Only, it's not just any silly science. There is always some deep studies going on in the research that initially seems very funny.
The award this article focuses on, demonstrates this well. The prize is for the studying the phenomenon of the slippery banana peel. And though this is an oft used comedy gag that will inevitably lead to much laughter, the research team did not set this as their main goal. The friction between the peel and other surfaces is analogous to the friction between the membranes at the joints in the human body. As a result of this study, the scientists will be able to help design better joint prosthesis. And the rest of us will learn the science behind the age old gag.
I would encourage you to follow the link to read more about this project and, all the way at the end, to see the rest of the Ig Noble awards.
BBC News
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