Voodoo doll and cannibalism studies triumph at Ig Nobels

Self-colonoscopies, useless instruction manuals, and kidney stones on rollercoasters also among subjects awarded

Never mind the protests from health and safety. A research paper that describes how employees can overcome workplace injustice by torturing a voodoo doll that resembles their boss has landed one of the most coveted awards in academia: an Ig Nobel prize.

The study, which sought to understand why disgruntled staff retaliate against bad superiors - despite the risk of making matters worse - found that tormenting a doll with pins and other implements helped restore their sense of fairness in the world.