Unruly: The IG Nobel Prizes & The Science That Refuses To Behave

Unruly dives into the surprising, tender, and often misunderstood world of the Ig Nobel Prizes, where questions like “Why don’t woodpeckers get headaches?”, “Can condiments solve our energy crisis?”, and “How many people pick their nose?” emerge from prizewinning research. The book takes readers on a lively tour of the Ig universe, from chaotic and charming nomination letters to debates that run longer than expected, last-minute reversals, and once-belittled breakthroughs, celebrating a prize that encourages us to laugh first and think later. Along the way, it uncovers the unseen corners of science—stories usually left in margins—offering crisp irreverence alongside deep affection for the accidents, detours, and stubborn hope that define a life in research. Funny, unhinged, and quietly radical, Unruly is an ordinary thinker’s love letter to weird science, weirder scientists, and the curiosity that lingers long after the laughter fades.