Japanese team's white stripes reduce flies 57%, win Biology Prize

A Japanese research team has won the 35th Ig Nobel Prize in Biology for their study showing that painting zebra-like stripes on cows reduces the number of flies attaching to them. The Ig Nobel Prize, often called the "geeky Nobel," is awarded annually to researchers whose humorous and creative scientific studies precede the official Nobel Prize announcements.

According to NHK and other sources on the 21st, the research team led by Tomoki Kojima from Japan's National Agriculture and Food Research Organization received the award on the 18th for their findings.

Inspired by existing research suggesting that zebra stripes deter blood-sucking flies, the team divided Japanese black cattle into three groups: those sprayed with white stripes at 4-5 cm intervals to resemble zebras, those painted with black stripes, and an unpainted control group. After 30 minutes of observation, the unpainted cattle had an average of 128 flies attached, while those with black stripes had 111. In contrast, the white-striped cattle had only 55 flies. Additionally, behaviors like head shaking and foot stomping to repel flies decreased by approximately 25% in the white-striped group compared to the others.

The team expects this research to reduce stress in cattle, lower pesticide use, and contribute to preventing infectious diseases by keeping blood-sucking insects at bay.

Ten other innovative studies also received awards. A team that discovered babies breastfeed longer when their mothers eat garlic won the Pediatrics Prize, while an Indian team that developed a shoe cabinet neutralizing smelly footwear received the Engineering Prize. The Peace Prize went to a German-Dutch-British team demonstrating that a shot of vodka improves foreign language skills.

The Ig Nobel Prizes are organized by the Annals of Improbable Research (AIR), a Harvard University science humor magazine, and have been awarded since 1991. Japan has now won the prize for 19 consecutive years. Last year, a Tokyo University of Science research team received the Biology Prize for proving that mammals can breathe through their anuses.

Zebra-Striped Cows Study Wins Ig Nobel