Ig Nobel Awards 2009/Britain leads the world in veterinary research

[Riayn]

The Ig Nobels are being awarded this evening in Harvard.

Some of the burning questions in this year's crop are Why don't pregnant women topple over? Do cows notice kindness? Does cracking your knuckles bring on arthritis? And is there more than one use for a bra?

All results can be found here (http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn17899-best-of-the-ig-nobel-prizes-2009.html) on the New Scientist Website.


Or if you would like to watch them being announced in real time, plus photos and tweets about the award ceremony itself, then follow @ewencallway (http://twitter.com/ewencallaway)

[Lothian]

I am aware there are a few British vets on the forum. Like me, I am sure they are delighted that one of their colleagues is getting world recognition (http://improbable.com/ig/ig-pastwinners.html#ig2009).


VETERINARY MEDICINE PRIZE: Catherine Douglas and Peter Rowlinson of Newcastle University, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, UK, for showing that cows who have names give more milk than cows that are nameless.
REFERENCE: "Exploring Stock Managers' Perceptions of the Human-Animal Relationship on Dairy Farms and an Association with Milk Production," Catherine Bertenshaw [Douglas] and Peter Rowlinson, Anthrozoos, vol. 22, no. 1, March 2009, pp. 59-69. DOI: 10.2752/175303708X390473.
WHO ATTENDED THE CEREMONY: Peter Rowlinson. Catherine Douglas was unable to travel because she recently gave birth; she sent a photo of herself, her new daughter dressed in a cow suit, and a cow.

[Aitch]

OK, I think this is the right forum.

Anyway, the 2009 Ig Nobel prizes (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/8285380.stm) have been announced.


ETA: Oops!

[Rolfe]

There isn't a veterinary school in Newcastle so these winners may be from the agricultural side of the tracks.

Kudos, anyway. It appears the sense of humour has not deserted them.

Pity Hill et al didn't get in there.

Rolfe.

[ddt]

I am aware there are a few British vets on the forum. Like me, I am sure they are delighted that one of their colleagues is getting world recognition (http://improbable.com/ig/ig-pastwinners.html#ig2009).

I know it's against the tenets of the Ignobles - which are about research that could or should not be reproduced - but this begs for some follow-up research.

Does it help to give the cows really individual names? The typical Dutch farmer, at least, names his cows like "Bertha 15".

[Floyt]

And finally, the biology prize went to Fumiaki Taguchi of Kitasato University in Japan and colleagues for showing how bacteria extracted from giant panda droppings can reduce the mass of kitchen waste by more than 90 per cent (Journal of the Japan Society of Waste Management Experts, vol 14, p 76).

That's smart thinking, actually. A digestive system that deals with bamboo exclusively is bound to have some constituents that make short work of all kinds of cellulose.

[Bikewer]

NPR's Science Friday used to broadcast a tape of the entire proceedings the day after Thanksgiving; a great show. Alas, they've cut it back considerably and now only play highlights.

[quixotecoyote]

It appears I've been misunderstanding the award. Previously, I thought it was a criticism. Apparently, it's not.