What do levitating frogs, poop timers, dead spiders turned into robot claws, and pizza-based healthcare in Italy have in common? They've all won an Ig Nobel Prize; the award for research that first makes you laugh, then makes you seriously question your life choices.
In this episode, we dive into science's weirdest awards ceremony, where Nobel laureates hand out trophies for studies on duckling aerodynamics and punch-absorbing beards. Yes, it's real. Yes, someone got a PhD out of this. And no, we still haven't won one, but we're working on it as we speak.
Join us as we celebrate the gloriously ridiculous side of science. And maybe pitch our own future-winning research while we're at it. ("Do podcast hosts age faster when recording in unventilated rooms?" Coming soon, probably.)
Important links:
1. Ig Nobel Prize Wikipedia page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ig_Nobel_Prize
2. The home of the Ig Nobel Prizes: https://improbable.com/ig/about-the-ig-nobel-prizes/
3. The latest team of Indian inventors who won the Ig Nobel Prize: https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/two-from-india-win-2025-ig-nobel-prize-for-engineering-design/article70069471.ece
4. Some of the most outrageous Ig Nobel Prize winners: https://perimeterinstitute.ca/news/11-hilariously-bizarre-winners-of-the-ig-nobel-prize
Don't Know, Do Care is the brainchild of Ashmita, Sandy, and Prakhar, three friends from different backgrounds and interests. Ashmita works in sustainability, Sandy's an entrepreneur (puke) who'd rather not be, and Prakhar works with Sandy and is just trying to make sense of it all.
Three mildly confused friends, one weirdly specific topic each week. We don't know much, but we care just enough to talk about it for up to an hour each week.
Don't Know, Do Care is produced by "Ghar Pe Productions", edited by Prakhar and Sandy, critiqued (thoroughly) by Ashmita, and enjoyed mostly by our friends. Thanks for giving us a listen!
