No British Royal Navy officials were on hand to receive the Ig Nobel Peace Prize.

BBC: Frog Sipa Press/University of Nijmegen

The Ig Nobel prize is given to achievements "that make people laugh, then make them think".

BBC: 7 questions on prizes

To the best of my knowledge, there is (only) one individual who has not only won an Ig Nobel Award, but also a Nobel Prize.

FORBES: Research by Mucking About

The Ig Nobel Awards, an American parody of the prestigious Nobel Prizes, have been around since 1991 and recognise annually research and studies that on the surface seem humorous and perhaps trivial, but contain the essence of real discovery.

FORBES: Controlling The Urge