nobel prize this year and award that's handed out for a ridiculously funny research but does the aig noble prize serve a greater purpose than just making people laugh is it making science. makes a mockery out of it well we asked the founder of the ig nobel prize the editor of the annals of improbable research magazine abrahams. there are no limits to scientific curiosity even if it takes researchers to the very bizarre is there such a thing as useless research the work of scientists so absurd that. actually help us walk along the path of progress and how do you draw the line between a complete waste of time and the next big discovery. the founder of the ig nobel prize editor of the annals of improbable research magazine marc abrahams great to have you with us mark welcome to the show now tell us something is getting an ignoble price belittling or actually noble for scientists or is it an honor. well of course i cannot speak for what's in somebody who's mind it's more an honor than not when we give a prize almost always we first get in touch with the person very quietly and we offer them the priz