If, at first, the subject matter of these Ig Nobel winners—a parody of its more serious counterpart—made you laugh, the awards' intention is only partly fulfilled, for they are meant to make you think. From over 9,000 nominations received this year, here's the winning list from the 33rd Ig Nobel alongwith excerpts from original project briefs by the awardees themselves behind the quirkiest, most bizarre achievements in scientific research