Teflon Diet and Zebra Cows Shine at 2025 Ig Nobel Prizes

Innovative and humorous research took center stage at the 2025 Ig Nobel Prizes, held at Boston University on March 16, 2025. Among this year’s winners was a team that proposed a radical approach to tackling obesity by incorporating Teflon into food products. This unconventional method aims to reduce calorie intake by using powdered polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) as a zero-calorie filler.

Dr. Rotem Naftalovich, a researcher from Rutgers University, received the chemistry prize for his work on the so-called Teflon diet. The idea emerged from a discussion with his brother, David, where they envisioned food manufacturers blending PTFE into various products. Their research, published in the journal Obesity Technology, suggests that PTFE could comprise up to a quarter of food by volume. Despite their intriguing findings, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration remained skeptical, with Naftalovich noting: “I don’t think they wanted to review it because it was such a wonky idea.”

Other Unique Research Recognized

The Ig Nobel awards celebrate research that is both amusing and thought-provoking. This year, a team from Germany, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom received the peace prize for demonstrating that a small sip of vodka could enhance foreign language skills. Dr. Fritz Renner, a psychologist at the University of Freiburg, noted that while the improvement was modest, it boosted confidence without impairing speech.

Another notable winner was a group that studied the impact of alcohol on Egyptian fruit bats. Researchers found that when given ethanol, the bats exhibited slowed movement and impaired echolocation, akin to the effects of alcohol on human speech. Their conclusion warned that bats consuming fermented fruit might face a higher risk of collisions with obstacles.

Food-related research dominated this year’s awards. The pediatric prize was awarded for a study showing that mothers who consumed garlic experienced longer breastfeeding durations, as babies suckled more after tasting the flavored milk. Additionally, a largely Italian research team explored the physics of the popular pasta dish cacio e pepe, revealing the phase transitions that lead to undesirable clumping.

In a lighthearted twist, researchers discovered that rainbow lizards in Togo exhibited a strong preference for “four cheeses” pizzas, earning them the nutrition prize. Meanwhile, Indian scientists developed a shoe rack that effectively neutralized odors from trainers using a UV lamp, though it had the unintended effect of damaging the footwear.

Recognition of Quirky Contributions

The psychology prize went to research indicating that individuals informed they possess above-average intelligence tend to embrace this belief, often leading to bragging. Dr. Tomoki Kojima from the National Agriculture and Food Research Organization in Japan also made headlines with his discovery that cows painted with black stripes suffered fewer fly bites, prompting disbelief when he exclaimed, “I couldn’t believe it. I thought I was dreaming.”

The literature prize was awarded posthumously to the late Dr. William Bean of the University of Iowa, who documented the growth rates of his fingernails and toenails over a remarkable span of 35 years. His son, Bennett, shared that the whole family participated in this unique project, reflecting his father’s deep curiosity about the world. “He would have loved this and used it as an event to write some perfect acceptance speech. He would say: ‘Finally, recognition!’”

The Ig Nobel Prizes continue to shine a light on unconventional research, sparking laughter and contemplation. While these awards may not carry the same weight as their more prestigious counterparts, they serve to remind us that humor and creativity can play a vital role in scientific inquiry.