▁c af eter ias ▁at ▁scientific ▁instit utes , ▁fake ▁class ified s ▁and ▁advert is ements ▁for ▁a ▁medical ▁plan ▁called ▁H MO - NO , ▁and ▁a ▁very ▁odd ▁letters ▁page . ▁The ▁magazine ▁is ▁head qu arter ed ▁in ▁Cambridge , ▁Massachusetts . ▁ ▁A IR ▁awards ▁the ▁annual ▁science ▁Ig ▁Nobel ▁P riz es , ▁for ▁ten ▁achiev ements ▁that ▁" first ▁make ▁people ▁laugh , ▁and ▁then ▁make ▁them ▁think ". ▁ ▁A IR ▁also ▁runs ▁the ▁Lux uri ant ▁Flow ing ▁H air ▁Club ▁for ▁Scient ists . ▁ ▁History ▁▁ ▁A IR ▁is ▁not ▁the ▁first ▁science ▁par ody ▁magazine . ▁The ▁Journal ▁of ▁Ir re produ cible ▁Results ▁( J IR ) ▁was ▁founded ▁by ▁Alex ▁K ohn ▁and ▁Harry ▁Lip kin ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 5 , ▁but ▁most ▁of ▁its ▁editor ial ▁staff , ▁including ▁editor ▁Marc ▁Ab rah ams , ▁left ▁after ▁the ▁magazine ▁was ▁bought ▁by ▁publish er ▁George ▁Sch err ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 4 . ▁Sch err ▁file d ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁court ▁actions ▁against ▁A IR , ▁alleg ing ▁that ▁it ▁was ▁de cept ively ▁similar ▁to ▁the ▁Journal ▁and ▁that ▁it ▁had ▁st olen ▁the ▁name ▁" Ig ▁Nobel ▁Prize ", ▁but ▁these ▁actions ▁were ▁un success ful . ▁ ▁Profile ▁ ▁Occ as ional ▁A IR ▁articles ▁are ▁fact ual ▁and ▁ill umin ating , ▁if ▁a ▁bit ▁off be at . ▁For ▁example , ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 3 ▁research er -