ZURICH - A late former professor at Asahikawa Medical University has won the Ig Nobel Prize in Medicine for scientifically examining the proper way to blow the nose, extending Japan's streak of Ig Nobel winners to 20 consecutive years.
The 36th Ig Nobel Prize ceremony was held in Zurich, Switzerland, on September 3.
The Medicine Prize was awarded to the late Tokuji Unno, a former professor at Asahikawa Medical University, for research that used scientific methods to investigate how people should blow their noses.
Miki Takahara, a professor at Asahikawa Medical University and former student of Unno, accepted the trophy on his behalf. "He was a pioneer in research into nasal physiology and airflow," Takahara said.
During the ceremony, invited recipients of the original Nobel Prize honored Unno's work by blowing their noses.
Unno measured and analyzed the act of nose-blowing from an aerodynamic perspective and concluded that blowing one nostril at a time allows air to pass through more efficiently.
His research also found that even forceful nose-blowing does not have a direct effect on the ears, helping establish what he considered the correct method of blowing the nose.
The award marks the 20th consecutive year in which a Japanese recipient has been honored with an Ig Nobel Prize.
The Chemistry Prize was also awarded to research involving scientists from Japan's High Energy Accelerator Research Organization. The study examined a milk-like nutrient produced inside the bodies of cockroaches.
Source: TBS
