Why babies smell so good: discovery won 2026 IgNobel

An international team of researchers received an Ig Nobel Prize for the discovery that babies' body odor activates brain regions associated with pleasure and reward, which may favor care and protection behaviors. Researchers Ilona Croy, Tomasz Frackowiak, Thomas Hummel and Agnieszka Sorokowska studied how children's body odor changes as they grow and how it is perceived by parents. The results suggest that babies smell particularly good, while teenagers seem to lose this so-called "advantage." The Ig Nobel Prize is traditionally awarded to research that "makes people laugh and then think," recognizing scientific discoveries that first provoke amusement and then reflection. The research began with an approach that explored differences in olfactory perception between different age groups.