Wodka featured in language test rewards: Freiburg recipients of Ig-Nobel Award
In an unexpected turn of events, a research duo from Freiburg, Germany, Jessica Werthmann and Fritz Renner, were honoured at the Ig-Nobel Prize ceremony in Boston. The annual event, which aims to first make people laugh and then think, recognises ten scientific studies each year that seem to make little sense but have a surprising amount of substance.
This year's theme was 'digestion', and the Freiburg researchers were recognised for their unconventional study on the effects of alcohol on foreign language conversations. The study, conducted eight years ago in Maastricht, involved 50 German students. One group was given a drink with vodka and bitter lemon, while the other group received only water. The results, published in a serious English-language academic journal in 2017, showed that the students who consumed alcohol performed better in brief conversations in Dutch.
However, Werthmann emphasised that the results should not be misunderstood. She stated, 'The research results should not be taken as an endorsement to drink alcohol to speak foreign languages. Our study was a side project, and we do not advise such practices.'
The physics award recipients were recognised for their work on the phase transition that can lead to clumping in spaghetti sauce. A team, including researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Physics of Complex Systems in Dresden, was honoured for their discoveries in the physics of spaghetti sauce.
In the pediatrics category, a scientist and a researcher from the US received the prize for their research on what a baby drinking mother's milk experiences when the mother eats garlic.
An interesting study in the nutrition category was conducted by a team from Nigeria, Togo, Italy, and France. They investigated how a certain type of lizard chooses to eat certain types of pizza.
The continuation of the 'Entertainment Research' by Werthmann and Renner is located in South Swabia, specifically focusing on regional cultural studies and local entertainment traditions. Werthmann expressed that side projects require freedom in science, and she added that research can also be funny. She hinted at the possibility of future 'fun research' in South Baden without revealing details.
Renner, who usually deals with depression, found the award as a surprise. He stated, 'I was completely taken aback by the award. It's an honour to be recognised for our work.'
The Ig-Nobel Prize ceremony took place in a university building in Boston, attended by approximately 1,000 spectators. The researchers do not expect any benefits from the awarded study, as it is not related to their main fields of expertise. However, Werthmann believes that the Ig-Nobel Prize can spark interest in research and that research can also be funny.
