BBC:
At the 22nd Annual Ig Nobel ceremony, which took place
yesterday, the physics prize went to Patrick Warren, Raymond
Goldstein, Robin Ball, and Joe Keller "for calculating the
balance of forces that shape and move the hair in a human
ponytail." Although the Igs are intended as a spoof of the
Nobel science prizes, the recipients are actual scientists,
many of whom have published their research in peer-reviewed,
scholarly journals. Warren says his research is important for
the company where he works, Unilever, because it sells a lot of
hair care products. The researchers' "Ponytail Shape Equation"
takes into account the stiffness of hair strands, the effects
of gravity, and the presence of curliness or waviness. Warren
points out that such research can have wider applications, such
as in the production of fabrics or even in computer animation
to help make the hair look more natural.
