Reply to: The "I could have told you that for nothing" award for scientific research goes to...

[hyperD]

So which brand of gassy beer goes best in a fusion reactor?

Heineken. Because it refreshes the quarks that other beers cannot reach.

[Diver]

Why shopping of course

A little basic research would indicate that shopping takes second place to chatting through social networking sites........

Source - Wife

[Pogle]

Have they worked out what women use the internet for yet?

Why shopping of course

[NotAllThere]

What happens is that some project publishes. It's picked up by a science journalist, who writes an eye-catching headline, which is read by non-scientists, who then think that what's been studied wasn't at all worthwhile, even if they bother reading the article itself, because they're relying on the journo's interpretation, which is itself aimed at the non-scientific.

It's worse when it's a big story because while the science journalist usually has some background in science, they'll be relatively junior. Big stories go to big names who's science understanding is often zero. Then you end up with, e.g. autism/mmr scares.

This particular bit of research "..was to find out how close, intimate relationships vary over a lifetime. This kind of anthropological study is normally very difficult to do because it is hard for researchers to get such a big picture of people's lives. But by looking at an at an extremely large mobile phone database, they were able to track these changes extremely accurately. "

The headline was just one result that the journalist thought would be most relevant to the average thick as pigtulip reader. It wasn't the purpose of the research.

There was a similar reaction to the "study of beer bubbles". The actual application of that was to do with fusion reactors, IIRC.

[TimberWolf]

The Pope definitely doesn't tulip in the woods.

[pmeswani]

Not while they hibernate

We need to research this to make sure.

[BrilloPad]

Do bears tulip in the woods?

Not while they hibernate

[vetran]

Didn't someone get a research grant for studying the effects of alchol on students, and then paid students to go out and get drunk

Proving that students will get drunk if offered free alcohol, let alone paid to drink it...who'd have guessed

One of my lecturers managed that, he worked on Breathalysers they had to test them! One of his favourite stories.

[Spacecadet]

Pointless research: top 10 Ig Nobel award winners for silly science - Telegraph

What's more sad is they won nobel awards for that .....

its the Ig Nobel you ignoramus - they are meant celebrate the more obscure/funny pieces of scientific research

[hyperD]

Have they worked out what women use the internet for yet?

mumsnet

[bless 'em all]

Have they worked out what women use the internet for yet?

Porn, same as us fellas.

NEXT!

[TimberWolf]

BBC News - Phone data shows romance 'driven by women'

What are they going to study next?

Have they worked out what women use the internet for yet?

[amcdonald]

Didn't someone get a research grant for studying the effects of alchol on students, and then paid students to go out and get drunk

Proving that students will get drunk if offered free alcohol, let alone paid to drink it...who'd have guessed

[wim121]

BBC News - Phone data shows romance 'driven by women'

What are they going to study next?

How about these pointless studies and more:

Suicide rates are linked to the amount of country music played on the radio, winner, Medicine, 2004

Ducks can be homosexual necrophiliacs too (winner, Biology, 2003)

Why woodpeckers don’t get headaches – winner, Ornithology, 2006

Pointless research: top 10 Ig Nobel award winners for silly science - Telegraph

What's more sad is they won nobel awards for that .....

[doodab]

once they have made their mind up, they just go for the poor bloke until he keels over and gives in!

Half the population could have told you that. The other half could have told you as well but they'd never admit it.