Ig Nobel Prize flees US for Switzerland after 35 years over safety concerns

The Ig Nobel Prize, the tongue-in-cheek awards ceremony that celebrates unusual scientific achievements, is leaving the United States for the first time in its 35-year history due to safety concerns for international attendees.

The decision marks a significant shift for the event, which has been held at prestigious institutions including Harvard University, MIT, and Boston University since its inception in 1991. The 2026 ceremony will now take place in Zurich, Switzerland, in collaboration with the Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology and the University of Zurich.

Marc Abrahams, the founder and emcee of the ceremony, explained the reasoning behind the move: "During the past year, it has become unsafe for our guests to visit the country. We cannot in good conscience ask the new winners, or the international journalists who cover the event, to travel to the USA this year."

The relocation comes amid growing concerns about the treatment of international visitors to the United States, particularly those in academic and scientific fields. The decision reflects broader anxieties within the scientific community about the current political climate and its impact on international collaboration and exchange.

Abrahams praised the Swiss response to the emergency relocation: "The city of Zurich and its institutions rapidly moved mountains and committed to make this possible. Switzerland has nurtured many unexpected good things – Albert Einstein's physics, the world economy, and the cuckoo clock leap to mind – and is again helping the world appreciate improbable people and ideas."

The Ig Nobel Prize ceremony is known for its unconventional approach to celebrating science. Winners receive unusual trophies, such as a piece of paper and 10 trillion Zimbabwean dollars – a demonetized currency rendered worthless by hyperinflation. The event features real Nobel laureates performing the prize-giving, often participating in the ceremony's madcap traditions.

Past Ig Nobel winners have included researchers who discovered that wombats produce cube-shaped feces, a man who lived in a badger burrow as performance art, and scientists who studied the effects of wearing pants on rat sexual behavior. The awards aim to make people laugh first, then think, celebrating research that might otherwise be overlooked.

One of the ceremony's most beloved traditions involves a young girl who is tasked with interrupting long-winded acceptance speeches. If a winner speaks for more than a minute, she stomps on stage shouting "Please stop, I'm bored!" ensuring the event maintains its brisk, irreverent pace.

The move to Switzerland represents more than just a change of venue – it signals a troubling moment for US science and academia. The Ig Nobel Prize's departure highlights how concerns about safety and welcome can impact even the most lighthearted scientific gatherings, suggesting a broader chilling effect on international scientific exchange.

For 35 years, the ceremony has been a fixture of the US scientific calendar, bringing together researchers, journalists, and the public to celebrate the quirky side of science. Its relocation to Zurich represents both a loss for American science culture and a statement about the current state of international academic relations.

The 2026 ceremony in Zurich will continue the tradition of honoring improbable research while adapting to new circumstances. Whether this becomes a permanent move or a temporary relocation remains to be seen, but the decision underscores how political and social climates can impact even the most whimsical aspects of scientific culture.