A device that repels teenagers has won the peace prize at this year's Ig Nobels - the spoof alternative to the rather more sober Nobel prizes.
Welshman Howard Stapleton's device makes a high-pitched noise inaudible to adults but annoying to teenagers. [...]
This year's winners included:
Maths: How many photos must be taken to almost ensure no-one in a group shot has their eyes closed, by Nic Svenson and Piers Barnes
Ornithology: Why woodpeckers do not get headaches, by Ivan Schwab and the late Philip RA May
Nutrition: Why dung beetles are fussy eaters, by Wasmia al-Houty and Faten al-Mussalam
Acoustics: Why the sound of fingernails scraping on blackboards is so annoying, by D Lynn Halpern, Randolph Blake and James Hillenbrand
Medicine: The Termination of Intractable Hiccups with Digital Rectal Massage, by Francis Fesmire, Majed Odeh, Harry Bassan and Arie Oliven.
While amusing, the ignobles do have some very worthwhile goals and this year they are offering a 24/7 series of lectures in which the lecturer has to get across the critical information about his topic in firstly 24 seconds and secondly 7 words.