Ig Nobels ceremony moves to Europe over security concerns

Source: Ars Technica

Background

Traditionally, the awards ceremony and related Ig Nobel events have taken place in Boston at Harvard University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Boston University. However, four of last year’s 10 winners opted to skip the ceremony rather than travel to the US, and the situation has not improved.

Impact on other events

The hostile US environment for international travel is affecting more than just the Ig Nobels. Many international gaming developers are choosing to skip this year’s week‑long Game Developers Conference in San Francisco, citing similar concerns. “I honestly don’t know anyone who is not from the US who is planning on going to the next GDC,” Godot Foundation Executive Director Emilio Coppola, who’s based in Spain, told Ars. “We never felt super safe, but now we are not willing to risk it.”

New hosting arrangement

This year, the Ig Nobel organizers are joining forces with the ETH Domain and the University of Zurich for hosting duties. “Switzerland has nurtured many unexpected good things—Albert Einstein’s physics, the world economy, and the cuckoo clock leap to mind—and is again helping the world appreciate improbable people and ideas,” Abraham said.

Future plans

The Ig Nobels will not be returning to the US any time soon. Instead, the plan is for Zurich to host every second year; every odd‑numbered year, the ceremony will be hosted by a different European city. Abraham likened the arrangement to the Eurovision Song Contest.