'Why Banana Skins Are Slippery' Wins IgNobel

gbjbaanb writes: This year's Ig Nobel prize was won by Japanese researchers investigating why banana skins produced a frictionless surface compared to apple and orange peels. (Apparently, "The polysaccharide follicular gels that give banana skins their slippery properties are also found in the membranes where our bones meet," so its not all fun and jollity). Other prizes were awarded for noting that dogs only defecate when aligned with north-south magnetic fields, and that "night owl" people are more likely to be psychopaths than early risers. Yes, that probably includes you.

Comments

Night owls

[camperdave]

"night owl" people are more likely to be psychopaths than early risers.

If you stop waking us up at ungodly hours of the morning, maybe we wouldn't be so stressed out. Did you ever think of that Mr Be-at-work-at-Nine-or-you're-fired?

Re:Bananas vs Grapes

[jpellino]

The reason it became a widespread thing was that it was actually a widespread thing. In the late 1800s bananas became so popular that coupled with the practice of the day to leave garbage out on urban streets, rotting banana peels were in fact a noted hazard.

Re:This is asinine in the extreme.

[amicusNYCL]

These prizes should go to people who contribute to the scientific community in such a way as to better humanity. no one gives 2 shits about why banana peels are slippery.

Somewhere right now, someone is posting an outraged message on Facebook about how scientists got a Nobel Peace Prize for research on banana peels, and suggesting that we cut all science funding.