Cows painted as zebras win Ig Nobel Prize for deterring flies

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Scientists in Japan received the 2025 Ig Nobel Prize in biology after demonstrating that painting cows with stripes, like a zebra’s, reduces the number of fly bites they receive.

So, I was reading about this really weird study that got an award – it’s called the Ig Nobel Prize, and it’s basically for research that’s funny but also makes you think. They had the 35th annual ceremony recently, on September 18th at Boston University, and it’s run by a magazine called Annals of Improbable Research. It’s always a good time seeing what crazy stuff scientists are figuring out!

A team at the Aichi Agricultural Research Center, led by Tomoki Kojima, recently tested a surprising way to protect Wagyu cows from biting flies. These flies are a common problem for Japanese farmers, causing stress, lowering fertility, and spreading disease. Kojima was inspired by the stripes of zebras – scientists believe these patterns confuse flies. The team wondered if painting white stripes on black Wagyu cows would have a similar effect and deter the pests.

Painted cows save flies

To see if their idea was correct, the researchers painted stripes on some cows – white on one, black on another – and left a third cow as it was. They switched which cows got which treatment, and discovered that the striped cows got fewer flies bothering them and didn’t try to swat them away as much with their tails or shake their heads.

As a big science fan, I was so excited to read about this research! It turns out a long-held idea about how zebras evolved is actually true, and even better, it’s led to a really cool solution for farmers. Apparently, painting cows with stripes – it’s surprisingly affordable and easy to do – can help keep bugs away. It’s totally harmless to the cows, and some farmers in Japan are *already* trying it out with special long-lasting paint! It’s a win-win for everyone.

“I couldn’t believe it,” Kojima said after learning of the prize. “I thought I was dreaming.”

So, I just watched the Ig Nobel Awards, and it’s always a blast! They gave out prizes for ten really weird, but surprisingly interesting, studies this year. One looked at the physics of how pasta sauce splatters – seriously! – and another delved into what happens when you digest food. It’s funny stuff, but it actually makes you think.

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2025-09-20 16:18