You cannot be serious

The 26th Ig Nobel Prizes were awarded last month and remind us that humour, satire and science do (occasionally) rub shoulders. A well deserved $10tn Zimbabwean note went to those honoured. Worthy of special mention in this year’s crop of winners include:  a study on the effects of wearing polyester, cotton, or wool trousers on the sex life of rats, and for conducting similar tests with human males; and work assessing the perceived personalities of rocks, from a sales and marketing perspective.