noun
Ig Nobel Prize
A parody of the Nobel Prize, awarded for unusual or humorous scientific achievements that 'first make people laugh, and then make them think'.
今年のイグノーベル賞に日本人研究者が選ばれた。
A Japanese researcher was selected for this year's Ig Nobel Prize.
Variant with a middle dot, sometimes seen in print.
The actual Nobel Prize; イグノーベル賞 is a humorous counterpart.
From English 'Ig Nobel Prize', a blend of 'ignoble' and 'Nobel'.