IG nobels tour 2004: It's quackers

It takes a special kind of person (in this case, Kees Moelicker of Rotterdam's Natuur- museum) to admit to the people of Dublin that he had watched homosexual necrophilia in the mallard duck for an hour. Or to admit to Nottingham's citizens to using the most sophisticated scanning technology available to investigate what happens when a man and woman make love. But such scientists do exist, have published their discoveries, have Ig Nobel prizes and have now confessed all to more than 1,000 people across the British Isles. The Ig Nobels tour, sponsored by The Times Higher , reaches London tonight, Birmingham on Saturday and Warrington on Monday. And besides ducks and coitus, host Marc Abrahams will be welcoming new members of the Luxuriant Flowing Hair Club for Scientists and announcing winners of the Lab Limericks competition. There may even be time to engage in a little paper aeroplane throwing.