After four years of virtual ceremonies due to the pandemic, the event resumed in-person attendance, featuring the tradition of throwing paper airplanes on stage.

Marc Abrahams concluded the ceremony by wishing all participants better luck for next year, regardless of winning.

Winners were honored in ten categories, with notable studies including a Chilean vine that mimics the shapes of nearby plastic plants and research on hair whorls based on geographic hemisphere.

This year's winners included studies on the swimming abilities of dead fish, the use of pigeons to guide missiles, and mammals that breathe through their anal orifices.

The 34th First Annual Ig Nobel Prize Ceremony took place at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, celebrating humorous yet thought-provoking scientific achievements.

These awards, an alternative to the Nobel Prizes, recognized quirky scientific discoveries on September 14, 2024.

A Japanese team's research demonstrated that certain mammals can absorb oxygen rectally, inspired by the loach fish, with hopes of future applications for humans.

In the Medicine category, German researchers proved that ineffective treatments with painful side effects can sometimes be more effective than those without.

The Demography Prize was awarded for research suggesting that people known for longevity often live in areas with poor birth and death recordkeeping.

The Chemistry Prize recognized a study that differentiated between drunk and sober worms using chromatography, demonstrating that sober worms can outpace their intoxicated counterparts.

The Anatomy Prize went to researchers who found that hair whorls typically swirl clockwise in the northern hemisphere and counter-clockwise in the southern hemisphere.

Winners received whimsical prizes, including a nearly worthless Zimbabwean 10 trillion-dollar bill and items reflecting Murphy's Law.