I was introduced to the Ig Nobel Prizes several years ago and I always look forward to the announcement of current winners. For those of you not in the know, The Ig Nobel Prizes honor achievements that first make people laugh, and then make them think. The prizes are intended to celebrate the unusual, honor the imaginative -- and spur people's interest in science, medicine, and technology.
Here are a few of the 2009 winners, who were honored at a ceremony Oct. 1, 2009, at Harvard's Sanders Theatre: