Ig Nobel Prize-winning episode: Trip from a slip on a banana peel to the mysterious world of mucus

Abstract

Slip on a banana peel is not only a gag seed but also a genuinely tribological phenomenon. We measured the frictional coefficient under banana skin on floor material. The measured frictional coefficient was much lower than the value on common materials and similar one on well lubricated surfaces. Some deductions on mystery of organics were leaded from the similarity of gel function in banana peels and in articular joints. Every polymers are only synthesized by organisms. Furthermore, viscous materials are only formed by organic substances.

Keywords

• Banana skin
• Frictional coefficient
• Follicle gel lubrication
• Mystery of organics