"The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that heralds new discoveries, is not 'Eureka!' but, 'That's funny..." —Isaac Asimov.

It has arrived — the most exciting event of the scientific calendar! The winners of this year's Ig Nobel Prizes have been announced. The Ig Nobels are the prizes awarded by Improbable Research — the organisation which, surprisingly enough, collects improbable research. Their purpose, as stated on their website, is: "to make people laugh, then make them think". They also raise the question: "How do you decide what's important and what's not, and what's real and what's not — in science and everywhere else?"

Throughout the years, Improbable Research have collected a wide array of research – including “Canine Reactions to the Mona Lisa”, “Anatomy of the Centaur” and “Which came first — the chicken or the egg?”

So, for our fourth issue of Weevil, we are giving you an overview of this year’s Ig Nobel winners. More information is available on the Improbable Research website at www.improbable.com.