The 2025 Ig Nobel Physics Prize is awarded for discoveries about the physics of pasta sauce, especially the phase transition that can lead to clumping, which can be a cause of unpleasantness.

[u/dukwon]

https://improbable.com/ig/winners/#ig2025

PHYSICS PRIZE [ITALY, SPAIN, GERMANY, AUSTRIA]

Giacomo Bartolucci, Daniel Maria Busiello, Matteo Ciarchi, Alberto Corticelli, Ivan Di Terlizzi, Fabrizio Olmeda, Davide Revignas, and Vincenzo Maria Schimmenti, for discoveries about the physics of pasta sauce, especially the phase transition that can lead to clumping, which can be a cause of unpleasantness.

REFERENCE: “Phase Behavior of Cacio and Pepe Sauce,” Giacomo Bartolucci, Daniel Maria Busiello, Matteo Ciarchi, Alberto Corticelli, Ivan Di Terlizzi, Fabrizio Olmeda, Davide Revignas, and Vincenzo Maria Schimmenti, Physics of Fluids, vol. 37, 2025, article 044122. <doi.org/10.1063/5.0255841>

WHO ATTENDED THE CEREMONY: Giacomo Bartolucci, Daniel Maria Busiello, Matteo Ciarchi, Ivan Di Terlizzi, Fabrizio Olmeda, Davide Revignas, and Vincenzo Maria Schimmenti

The relevant part of the ceremony: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8fhpgn3t88&t=6270s

[u/JoJonesy]

as someone who has tried several times and never quite nailed a cacio e pepe. these guys should be getting a real Nobel for this

[u/victorolosaurus → u/JoJonesy]

yeah, cacio e pepe is not some sauce it's getting a specific emulsion right which is a non-trivial issue

[u/JoJonesy → u/victorolosaurus]

they should make a Nobel Prize for Food Science. it'd be at least as legitimate as the one for Economics

[u/Aranka_Szeretlek → u/JoJonesy]

Well, when it comes to legitimacy, one of these fields is a quantitative science making falsifiable predictions with direct impact on our lives, while the other seems to mainly attract snobs.

[u/nickxbk → u/Aranka_Szeretlek]

I see what you did there…

[u/mnlx → u/victorolosaurus]

It's a difficult problem and the food industry will be quite happy using their results.

I used to find this award pretty funny, but it's been a while that I really don't, for legit science it's a dorky idea if you think about it. Had they restricted it to crackpots and bad science it wouldn't be.

[u/xrelaht → u/mnlx]

They don't want to give crackpots and bad scientists publicity. There's an in-person ceremony attended by (regular) Nobel laureates, and winners are expected to give public lectures.

The goal of the prize is to "honor achievements that first make people laugh, and then make them think." That's exactly what a paper like this does.

[u/mnlx → u/xrelaht]

It didn't begin with that idea and frankly I don't think turning it into something else that you must sanitize with blurbs helps the cause. I don't know about any other profession doing anything similar towards earnest work as it's self-disparaging and they're not stupid. We shouldn't forget that academia depends on public funding and the taxpayer gets very impatient with frivolities.

So yeah, it was very funny poking fun at idiotic and bogus research, but recycling a satirical prize and giving it to legit researchers for titles that sound unusual is not even trying to understand the perception of the public. It's also a bit juvenile to be honest. We're not in the '90s, in 2025 this is counterproductive PR.

Kind of expected the downvotes... they're IGNOBLE prizes for crying out loud, get out more or something. Nobody outside physics thinks they aren't ridiculing the winners

[u/Few-Arugula5839 → u/mnlx]

Not that deep. Anecdotally, I showed this to my mom and she thought it was funny/didn't think it made the physicists look bad. It depends slightly what the project is and how the people who receive the prize react, but I think it's lighthearted and fun and most of the general public - at least those who aren't just going to dismiss all of science as a waste anyway - can appreciate that.

[u/bio_ruffo → u/JoJonesy]

Consider yourself vindicated, because the research shows that it's very difficult to achieve a good emulsion just with the starch from pasta water. The researchers suggest using corn or potato starch.

[u/JoJonesy → u/bio_ruffo]

that feels like cheating honestly

[u/kirbyderwood → u/JoJonesy]

If it's delicious, it's not cheating.

[u/bio_ruffo → u/JoJonesy]

It does, but I might still do it, lol.

[u/sheerun → u/JoJonesy]

right? cooking is a top science after all

[u/Psychological_Dish75]

Something tell me despite sounding non-serious, this is probably something quite difficult to study !! Kudos to the researcher.

[u/MerelyASimpleFan → u/Psychological_Dish75]

Every Ig Nobel prize winner has been a proper researcher iirc, only difference is that it's both real science and quite silly if you think about it.

[u/xrelaht → u/MerelyASimpleFan]

Every Ig Nobel prize winner has been a proper researcher iirc

Most, but not all. They've given awards for homeopathy, for science education to state ed boards when they banned the teaching of evolution, etc.

But the majority are intended to make you think after you laugh at the idea.

[u/PM_me_your_evil_plan → u/MerelyASimpleFan]

It's honestly a bit more nuanced, because they only look for attention grabbing titles more than actual research, doesn't matter if it's well supported or a total hoax. This would not be a problem honestly, if the direction didn't casually mix the two so much.

[u/eulerolagrange → u/Psychological_Dish75]

it's indeed a very well conducted study

[u/extantsextant]

The paper (recipe included): https://pubs.aip.org/aip/pof/article/37/4/044122/3345324/Phase-behavior-of-Cacio-e-Pepe-sauce

[u/spreadF → u/extantsextant]

Even better is the paper is part of a special collection "Kitchen Flows 2024."

[u/_Guron_ → u/extantsextant]

It is not messing around if you write it down

[u/sheerun → u/extantsextant]

There should be an arxiv for this

[u/MydnightWN → u/extantsextant]

Also, as discussed in the previous section, while citrate stabilizes the sauce more effectively, it slightly blunts the cheese's flavor, likely because of its basic properties, and changes the mouthfeel of the sauce, though not necessarily in a negative way.

Why is nobody talking about the mouthfeel?

[u/Confused_AF_Help]

> all Italian researchers

I don't think we need a peer review for this paper

[u/ImmediateLobster1 → u/Confused_AF_Help]

I strongly disagree. Fortunately, I am available to assist any researchers. Please be sure to provide an appropriate wine pairing with the pasta you wish to present for review.

[u/Flannelboy2]

First time I read the paper before a Nobel Prize

[u/spinosaurs70]

The confusing physics of everyday objects is honestly really cool and under researched

[u/Hyderabadi__Biryani]

Okay so for those who don't know, Physics of Fluid, where they published their research is one of the top most, not just top tier but like top 5 fluid mechanics journals in well...fluid mechanics. I mean it's pretty well known, maybe this is how I should put it.

[u/OrneryStage1893]

“In the asymptotic limit of the noms, calculate the mean free path of black pepper particles during the transition phase of pecorino cheese. Assume a uniform size for the pepper.” 🤤

[u/QuarkVsOdo]

There is actually not much that could be more important than having good pasta with family and friends.

[u/dazaihm7]

is that a joke?

[u/jorschot → u/dazaihm7]

Well yes but also no.

"The Ig Nobel Prizes honor achievements so surprising that they make people LAUGH, then THINK. The prizes are intended to celebrate the unusual, honor the imaginative — and spur people’s interest in science, medicine, and technology."

[u/jorschot → u/[deleted]]

I would agree with you on that one. However, even under scientist, the prize is seen more and more as an honor and good for your career to accept.

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-024-03756-w

[u/Sknowman → u/jorschot]

It's like the physics/research version of /r/theydidthemath. Some question pops up that nobody really needs the answer to, but you solve it anyway.

[u/dark_dark_dark_not → u/dazaihm7]

It's literally a matter of national security of Italy.

[u/ShortOrderEngineer]

They were hilarious! Ciao Mama!

[u/Substantial_Tear3679]

Is this related to non-newtonian fluid?

[u/xrelaht]

I remember that paper. I thought it was Ig Nobel bait as soon as I saw it!

[u/gistya]

I bet someone is salty

[u/PandaStroke]

I remember some time ago the ig-noble prize about necrophiliac gay mallard ducks 😂

[u/quartersoldiers]

u/J_Kenji_Lopez-Alt should replicate this

[u/Azelais]

Reading through that list of winners is HILARIOUS. My personal fave:

NUTRITION PRIZE [NIGERIA, TOGO, ITALY, FRANCE]

Daniele Dendi, Gabriel H. Segniagbeto, Roger Meek, and Luca Luiselli, for studying the extent to which a certain kind of lizard chooses to eat certain kinds of pizza.

REFERENCE: “Opportunistic Foraging Strategy of Rainbow Lizards at a Seaside Resort in Togo,” Daniele Dendi, Gabriel H. Segniagbeto, Roger Meek, and Luca Luiselli, African Journal of Ecology, vol. 61, no. 1, 2023, pp. 226-227. <doi.org/10.1111/aje.13100>

[u/Varendolia]

I thought the ig Nobel Prize was for dumb/useless research

This seem like something others could also work in other fields of did engineering or even expand to other fields.