Eureka!

Not only have I found "it" (in this case, what to do with my weekend), so too have many others. While I will be rewarded with an enjoyable weekend with family and friends, many others who found "it" were recently rewarded with Ig Nobel Prizes. Not to be confused with "The" Nobel Prizes for various research or great deeds, the Ig Nobel Prizes are awarded to people whose research "first make people laugh, and then make them think." This year awards were given for research into:

- "How many photos must be taken to almost ensure no-one in a group shot has their eyes closed" and;
- Why putting a finger in your bum can stop the hiccups, though more scientifically titled as: "The Termination of Intractable Hiccups with Digital Rectal Massage"

Previous winners include:

- the inventor of karaoke
- the inventor of an alarm clock that repeatedly goes off and then runs away to ensure people do actually get up
- research into how herrings communicate through farting

I assure you, the list goes on, and on, and on. Great stuff! Just don't confuse either type of Nobel Prize with the Darwin Awards whose mottos include "Chlorinating the Gene Pool" and "Culling the Herd". These awards are often given posthumously to those who have done things of magnificent stupidity to bring about their own deaths. Surprisingly, some live to tell the tale (and likely receive good-natured ribbing from their friends until they actually do kick-off).