BOST-Ig: An Ig Nobel Celebration - Swissnex in Boston and New York

The Ig Nobel Prize has been a fixture of Boston’s academic calendar since its founding in 1991, honoring research that first makes you laugh, then makes you think. This year, the Igs are heading abroad, with the 36th First Annual Ig Nobel Prize Ceremony set to take place in Zurich on September 3. In recognition of the prize’s deep local roots, Swissnex and Improbable Research present BOST-Ig, a special Ig Nobel celebration in Cambridge, MA, on September 24, 2026.

We will have the honor of welcoming several winners of the 2026 Ig Nobel Prize to discuss their award-winning research. The evening will also include a musical tribute to the late Tom Lehrer, the celebrated songwriter, mathematician, and long-time friend of the Igs, performed by Amanda Palmer and Thomas Michel, as well as an exhibition of works from the Museum of Bad Art, Boston’s premiere cultural institution dedicated to the collection and preservation of “art too bad to be ignored.”

Join us for an evening celebrating remarkable, improbable, and unexpected achievements in the sciences, arts, and beyond.

Program

5:30pm – Doors open
6:00pm – Opening Remarks
6:10pm – Talks by 2026 Ig Nobel Prize Winners, the Museum of Bad Art, and a musical tribute to Tom Lehrer
7:15pm – Reception
8:00pm – End

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Event start time

Boston
5:30PM

Speaker

Bio

Marc Abrahams
Founder
Ig Nobel Prize
Marc Abrahams founded the Ig Nobel Prize ceremony in 1991, and emcees the ceremonies. He is editor of the magazine Annals of Improbable Research and its website www.improbable.com
Bio

Louise Reilly Sacco
Executive Director
Museum Of Bad Art
Louise Reilly Sacco is the Permanent Acting Interim Executive Director of the Museum Of Bad Art (MOBA), which has galleries in Boston and Quebec City. MOBA has been a part of many Ig Nobel Prize ceremonies. Louise also is an usher at Fenway Park in Boston.
Bio

Susan Kany
Chief Diplomat
Ig Nobel Prize
Susan Kany has been a chief diplomat at many of the Ig Nobel Prize ceremonies. Professionally, she has for many years been a bureaucracy tamer at Harvard University. Susan will be a diplomatic presence.

Musical Tribute

Bio

Tom Lehrer
In Memoriam
Thomas Lehrer (1928-2025) was a singer-songwriter and mathematician, who taught at Harvard, MIT, and UC Santa Cruz. His sharp, funny songs are revered by several generations of scientists worldwide. Tom also helped create several of the mini-operas that premiered as part of Ig Nobel Prize ceremonies at Harvard. A few of his most famous songs will be performed.
Bio

Amanda Palmer
Artist
Amanda Palmer is a singer, songwriter, musician, and performance artist who is precisely one half of the musical duo the Dresden Dolls. Palmer first rose to fame busking as a living statue called the Eight Foot Bride. Amanda Palmer and Thomas Michel will perform Tom Lehrer songs.
Bio

Thomas Michel
Professor of Medicine and Biochemistry
Harvard Medical School
Thomas Michel, MD, PhD, is Professor of Medicine and Biochemistry at Harvard Medical School and a Senior Physician in Cardiovascular Medicine at the Mass General Brigham Cardiovascular Institute. He is the lead (and only) accordionist at the annual Ig Nobel Prize Ceremony. Thomas Michel and Amanda Palmer will perform Tom Lehrer songs.