Ig Nobel Prizes are the American parody of the Nobel Prizes, created in 1991 by Marc Abrahams. “We honor achievements that first make people laugh and then make them think,” he says. When Marc became the editor of a science magazine, he met people who did unique studies. However, nobody seemed to recognize or acknowledge them. This is how he came up with the Ig Nobels.

The name “Ig Nobel” is a play on words. “Ig” is short for “ignoble,” which means “dishonorable.” Every year, ten prizes are given in different categories such as literature, physics, and chemistry. The ceremony, held at Sanders Theater at Harvard University, is filled with humorous events. It begins with the paper airplane throwing that lasts for 30 seconds.

Winners of the Ig Nobels have 60 seconds to explain their studies. An eight-year-old girl called Miss “Sweetie Poo” acts as the timekeeper. If a winner exceeds 60 seconds, she will cry out “Please stop! I’m bored!” until the speaker stops. The ceremony ends with Marc’s closing remark: “If you didn’t win a prize—and especially if you did—better luck next year!”

Benyus believes that we deal with environmental issues, not because there are no solutions, but since we have not been looking in the right direction. As a matter of fact, we can tackle numerous issues, particularly in the area of design, by looking to nature for inspiration.

For example, engineers in Japan had an issue: Shinkansen trains made an extremely loud sound while going into tunnels. To solve this, the engineers turned to the kingfisher, a bird that dives into water without splashing. They planned the nose of the train in a similar shape to the kingfisher’s beak. Scientists have also found a way to use the same pattern as sharks’ skin on walls to protect against bacteria in public places like schools and hospitals.

For Benyus, biomimicry helps us be more aware of nature and leads us to change our lifestyle. Benyus suggests that we have to prioritize what is good for the whole earth and trust that it will eventually be good for us humans. Now that our population is increasing rapidly, we are beginning to cause a bad effect on the environment. Biomimicry is a powerful tool that is the key to our survival on planet Earth, our home.

Individuals are becoming mindful of the benefits of switching to a vegan diet for health reasons, as well as the fact that it plays an important role in environmental protection. Some people go further and have a vegan diet, which rejects all animal products such as cheese, eggs, and milk. However, some nutritionists believe that a vegan diet may be deficient in certain nutrients and minerals that our bodies require on a daily basis.

Many people today are worried about working on their own well-being and protecting the environment. Changing to a vegetarian diet – or simply eating less meat – is a decent way to do both of these things simultaneously.