The Annals of Improbable Research (AIR) is often desribed as the Mad Magazine of Science. It is a bi-monthly magazine and an Internet Website. It is best known for hosting the Ig Nobel ceremony, honouring real scientists who have conducted funded research, yet whose achievements cannot and should not be reproduced. This book will cover the Ig Nobel Prizes, their history, some highlights, and the 1996 Awards. Additional material about Big Science will include contributions by actual Nobel Laureates and articles that treat real science with a wry spin. The volume closes with suggestions for education and teaching of science, underscoring the need for the educated person to understand some basic science and to nurture the natural curiosity of children when they encounter science. It is for anyone interested in science humour.