Researchers who attempt an end run around the peer review process of science might as well be tacking an 'Ig me' sign on their backs. Abrahams stresses that the Ig Nobel awards are presented in good-natured fun and are never meant to ridicule anyone. Well, hardly ever. It's an underhanded way of seducing people into thinking about science. Although some awards may sound critical, they usually just quote, without comment, the research in question.
Scientists can nominate themselves for the coveted awards.
According to Abrahams, science that seems absurd can have considerable merit. He cites the research of the Norwegian physicians who won the 1996 Ig Nobel in biology for their study of how garlic, ale, and sour cream affect the appetite of leeches. This research may sound sophomoric, but there's purpose behind it, since leeches are again being used in medicine. Barheim and Sandvik set out to advance the cause of medicine by testing that wisdom. They discovered that beer makes leeches lazy and undisciplined, much the way it affects us, and, while garlic attracts the little bloodsuckers, it also kills them.