Remember that this time of the year isn't just for nobel prizes but also for the IgNobel Prizes.

I feel as though I have been robbed though, I think I sent the email nominating the peace prize winner (although I think suggested physiology) for the invention of the Mosquito, the device that repels teenagers through a sound only they can hear. So where was my recognition? Where is my plane ticket to join the ceremony and shake hands with nobel prize winners, and throw airplanes and wear funny hats?

Sigh.

The other winners were

1. Maths: How many photos must be taken to almost ensure no-one in a group shot has their eyes closed, by Nic Svenson and Piers Barnes
   
   
2. Ornithology: Why woodpeckers do not get headaches, by Ivan Schwab and the late Philip RA May
   
   
3. Nutrition: Why dung beetles are fussy eaters, by Wasmia al-Houty and Faten al-Mussalam
   
   
4. Acoustics: Why the sound of fingernails scraping on blackboards is so annoying, by D Lynn Halpern, Randolph Blake and James Hillenbrand
   
   
5. Medicine: The Termination of Intractable Hiccups with Digital Rectal Massage, by Francis Fesmire, Majed Odeh, Harry Bassan and Arie Oliven.

That last one is a real doozy.