Comments on: 10 university studies that never should have been funded

By: Flora Morris Brown

Flora Morris Brown — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 17:27:38 +0000

These studies remind me of jokes we’d make in graduate school about research. We thought it would save a lot of time if we decided on our findings and recommendations first, then wrote hypotheses to match. I opted not to take this route, but I wonder how many did.

When it comes to studies that are a waste of time, none are more ridiculous than the medical studies that confirm what grandmothers across the world always knew: chicken soup has fantastic healing power.

By: Observation of Life

Observation of Life — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 15:40:10 +0000

Some of those are hilarious, although I can actually see the value in some of them. It makes sense to me that night-nurses could have good sleep habits if they got a good “night’s” sleep during the day. And I can see how the suppressing of thoughts making them more prominent might not be obvious to some people. But I’ll agree that most of those were pretty pointless.

By: Lane

Lane — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 09:36:49 +0000

More to the point, how many research studies are so valuable that the money for them should be forcibly taken from people, rather than allowing those people to spend the money they earned in the way they would prefer? Or do you even realize that I’m talking about taxes?

By: Shama Hyder

Shama Hyder — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 04:12:16 +0000

Hi Jonathan-

When I was in graduate school I noticed some studies that were so irrelevant that it seemed to be a complete waste of time and energy.

Mundane topics that some researchers had given their entire life to. It was hard to believe. It turned me off to academics in a major way.

By: Mohsin

Mohsin — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 15:09:11 +0000

I bet those senile researchers didn’t know how it feels to laugh until they conducted the studies.

By: Jenn Osborne

Jenn Osborne — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 14:56:06 +0000

I recently read a study that examined why old-order Mennonites have very little heart disease. Hello? They don’t drive cars and they walk everywhere they go. I don’t suppose this amazingly healthy lifestyle has something to do with it?

By: Martin

Martin — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 13:43:38 +0000

Some of my favourites, thanks to Null Hypothesis:

Sneezing spreads germs – http://www.null-hypothesis.co.uk/science/straight-talking/bleedin-obvious/sneezing_germs_infection_hygiene

Adults speak differently to babies – http://www.null-hypothesis.co.uk/science/strange-but-true/bleedin-obvious/baby_talk_gurgle_self_evident

Bees like gardens – http://www.null-hypothesis.co.uk/science/straight-talking/bleedin-obvious/bumblebees_gardens_flowers_research_survey