Reanimated spiders and smart toilets triumph at Ig Nobel prizes

From using dead spiders to grip objects to probing the weird feeling that occurs when the same word is written over and over again, researchers investigating some of the quirkiest conundrums in science have been honoured in this year’s Ig Nobel prizes. Unlike the rather more stately Nobel prizes – which will be announced next month – the Ig Nobel prizes celebrate unusual areas of research that “make people laugh, then think”. They also come with a rather less majestic cheque: this year’s winning teams will each receive a 10 trillion dollar bill … from Zimbabwe.

tips

grip 抓

probe 探索；探针

weird 不可思议的；古怪的

investigate 调查（vestig- = foot print，track，踪迹）

quirk 古怪举动

quirkiest 最高级

conundrum 谜语；难题

science 科学

majestic 宏伟的；庄重的（majesty）

cheque 支票