Cool Science Radio

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Award-winning science that makes you laugh, then think

Marc Abrahams, founder and editor of the Annals of Improbable Research, discusses the 2026 Ig Nobel Prizes, which celebrate scientific research that first makes people laugh and then makes them think. He shares some of this year's unusual discoveries and the story behind the annual ceremony.

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  How smart heat tape could help stabilize the power grid

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  Can math help you win at games and puzzles?

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  How intelligence experts prepare for threats we can’t predict

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  What massive stars reveal about the early universe

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  When should new medical technology change patient care?

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  Are we ready for humans to travel to Mars?

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  How autonomous mowers are making dangerous jobs safer

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  How technology transforms society and disrupts industries

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  Research suggests pollutants may affect diabetes risk

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  Technology is changing the fight to protect endangered wildlife

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  Gravitational waves are revealing a hidden universe

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  The strange science behind 'tiny people' hallucinations

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  Designing innovations that work around the world

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  Gene editing could change the fight against cancer

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  How gambling pioneers helped shape modern computing