The Ig Nobel Prizes, a parody of the Nobel Prizes, are awarded annually for achievements that "first make people laugh and then make them think." Among this year’s honorees were researchers who found that dairy cows with names yield more milk than unnamed cows, scientists who found that empty beer bottles are better weapons than full ones, and a doctor who invented a bra that can become a pair of gas masks. While seemingly absurd, these achievements can have some practical value. For example, a readily available supply of gas masks following the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster could have helped protect against radiation sickness.