Who knew that burying underwear could help us better understand soil? A creative citizen science experiment has received the 2026 Ig Nobel Prize in Soil Science, demonstrating how an unusual idea can make scientific research both engaging and meaningful.

The SOIL-XR project would like to congratulate Dr. Franz Bender from Agroscope, a partner in the SoilBodies project, and the entire research team behind Proof by Underpants on receiving this recognition.

The Ig Nobel Prizes celebrate scientific achievements that first make people laugh and then make them think. On 3 September 2026, researchers Franz Bender, Marcel van der Heijden, Atlant Bieri and Pia Viviani received the Soil Science Prize for their innovative approach to investigating soil biological activity.

What can buried underwear tell us about soil?

In 2021, researchers from the University of Zurich and Agroscope invited 1,000 citizen scientists across Switzerland to take part in an unusual experiment. Participants buried more than 2,000 pairs of cotton underwear and 12,000 tea bags in gardens, agricultural fields, meadows and other locations.

After approximately two months, the underwear was retrieved and examined to understand how much of the cotton had decomposed. The principle was simple: soil organisms, including bacteria and fungi, help break down organic materials, meaning that decomposition can provide an indication of biological activity beneath the surface.

The findings, published in August 2026 in the scientific journal Plants, People, Planet, showed that land use plays a major role in soil biological activity. Decomposition was generally highest in private gardens and lowest in lawns, highlighting how different soil conditions and management practices influence the organisms living underground.

Although cotton decomposition alone cannot provide a complete assessment of soil health, the experiment offers an accessible way to explore the complex processes taking place beneath our feet.

Inspiring Soil Awareness Through Citizen Science

Beyond its scientific findings, Proof by Underpants demonstrates the value of involving citizens directly in environmental research. By transforming an everyday object into an educational experiment, the project encouraged people to discover the importance of soil biodiversity, biological activity and sustainable soil management.

This creative approach closely reflects the objectives of SOIL-XR, which aims to strengthen soil literacy through citizen science, hands-on educational activities, Living Labs and immersive Extended Reality (XR) technologies.

Congratulations to the entire research team on this well-deserved recognition! Soil science has never been so popular!

Read More

• University of Zurich – Award-Winning Underpants (Ig Nobel Prize, September 2026)
• University of Zurich – Buried Underwear Shows Land Use Is Key to Soil Health
• Phys.org – Buried Underwear Shows Land Use Is Key to Soil Health
• Scientific publication – Soil health assessment using buried cotton underpants with the help of 1000 citizen scientists (2026)

Image used: Slightly or heavily decomposed? The more active the soil organisms, the faster the cotton material decomposes. (Image: Gabriela Brändle, Agroscope)

https://www.news.uzh.ch/en/articles/media/2026/buried-underwear.html