British scientists have found out: serious and ridiculous discoveries of researchers. Stupid discoveries of British scientists
“British scientists have proven that the Earth is not round, but black and crunches on the teeth”
"British scientists have opened another box of whiskey"
“British scientists have found that the most popular message on social networks on Thursday is “Tomorrow is Friday!”
You can find an incredible amount of such jokes on the Internet. And they continue to be generated every day, despite the tediousness of the topic. Mainly because British scientists themselves never tire of coming up with new informational reasons suitable for jokes.
For example, they recently learned why the bone in the connective tissue of the penis disappeared in humans during the process of evolution, and they also found out why some pigs are optimists and some are pessimists.
It is not clear what value these works have, what motivates scientists when they undertake stupid research, and why the UK takes the leading place in the number of mentions of such absurd “discoveries”. It is worth considering this phenomenon from the point of view of meme theory. A meme is a unit of cultural information transmitted from person to person. The concept was introduced by evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins in his 1976 book The Selfish Gene. “British scientists” is a full-fledged meme, and there are several reasons for its appearance.
Britain and science
The United Kingdom has always been considered the most developed and progressive place on the map of Europe. This is a country rich in both resources and people. In addition, historically it turned out that it was in Great Britain that true science began to rapidly develop. Oxford and Cambridge are the oldest universities in the world, and at the same time the most reputable in our days.
The English were Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin, James Maxwell, Michael Faraday, Ernest Rutherford, James Joule. This list can be continued until you get tired of talking about scientific discoveries.
IN early XIX century, during the Regency era, London was the intellectual center of the civilized world. Scientists have actively enlightened ordinary people about their discoveries, the spirit of mental revolution was in the air. In 1831 the British Propagation Association scientific knowledge convened the first meeting, at which the main postulate of this organization was adopted - promoting the development of science and working to attract national attention to it. In the same year, the first science festival was held, where scientists from various areas and shared research results with each other and with the public. Science was becoming public. Lectures by leading researchers were always sold out. This gave rise to news stories that were happily picked up by the press.
More than 70 British scientists have received Nobel Prizes. In 2016, they also received a prize in the field of physics with the wording “for the theoretical discoveries of topological phase transitions and topological phases of matter.” It is natural that in people’s minds science is nationally assigned to the British. This is the first step to understanding the history of the “British scientists” meme.
The turning point
When did British science cease to be associated with quality and lose some credibility? This is due to changes in English system education. In the 70s–80s of the 20th century, a reform took place educational institutions, and various colleges received new status and names. At the same time, they began to have the right to conduct research. Even later, the government merged these former colleges, and 30 polytechnic institutes appeared in the country. Their programs were similar to university ones, but it was impossible to obtain a higher education diploma there. In 1992, they all acquired university status, doubling the number of higher education institutions in England. The number of young scientists and researchers has increased immeasurably; they have begun to fight for grants and funding.
With such a mass of works, attention was given to those that were more suitable “to the topic of the day”, had novelty and were beneficial to someone. In the 90s, the media was full of headlines about strange scientific research.
In The Guardian from 1993, you can find the following article: “Cot death risk is lower among babies who do not sleep alone.” In The Independent, 1996: "Male fish are being 'feminised' by river pollution." BBC September 1998: “Passionate sex aids pregnancy.”
It's all about money
To this day, the Government of the United Kingdom, political associations and private organizations fund science very well. From the European Union alone, the amount of material support for British scientists was about $1.2 billion per year (however, the UK may lose this pleasant tradition with Brexit).
Deliciously crispy pieces of paper in your wallet are in themselves a good incentive for any activity. And if this is also seasoned with the possibility of obtaining a high index in the citation index of scientific articles, then the scientist can no longer dream of anything else, except, perhaps, saving the world.
This is precisely what was named as the reasons for the appearance of low-quality scientific articles in a recent study by British scientists.
The more citations a scientific article receives in publications with a high impact factor (a numerical indicator of the importance of a journal), and the “newer” the research, the higher the chances that this work will receive grants and material support from interested parties.
The researchers who created a mathematical model of the problem of “bad” articles also suggested ways to correct the situation. First of all, according to them, it is necessary to increase the requirements for statistical samples and procedures for processing results. Some reputable journals have already begun to act in this direction.
Some studies are even commissioned by commercial companies. One day, information appeared in the British press about new job scientists, which dealt with the common myth of the “five-second rule.” This everyday saying states that a product picked up from the floor after five seconds is not considered contaminated with bacteria. Scientists said that this rule is observed, but not on all products. Later Daily Mail, where the article was published, explained that the “study” was sponsored by cleaning product manufacturers. Moreover, the text advised readers to change the “head” of the mop every three months in order to minimize the risk of infection with dangerous bacteria. When they tried to find the authors of the article, it turned out that behind the whole group there is the name of only one person - an employee of the technology laboratory of the City University of Manchester, Katie Les. It was not possible to contact her.
It is especially convenient to speculate in this way in the field of statistics. This science does not care what subject to take for study. Statistical analysis is quite easy to carry out, so it can be assigned to students and the result will be course work, written according to all the rules of a scientific article.
Illiterate journalists
When scientists are asked directly why their work looks so stupid, they like to answer this way: it’s all the journalists’ fault. And it cannot be said that they are wrong. This is the third factor in the appearance of the meme.
The Citizen (1950), “Scientists have found magic in color”
In the 19th century, England was the center of development not only of science, but also of journalism. At this time, interest in the press increased significantly among representatives of various segments of the population. Publishers and journalists targeted the working class, and by mid-century the English press began to become mainstream. Even the first hints of “yellow” publications appeared. For example, in the 60s and 70s, the Vanity Fair weekly magazines were popular, where they published cartoon-like pictures and had a gossip section. And in 1874, the weekly “The World: A Magazine for Men and Women” appeared, offering readers critical materials written by “gentlemen and scholars.” Thus, the topic of science, popular due to the unprecedented number of achievements and discoveries, began to be covered in low-quality publications.
The results of many studies are still often misunderstood and misinterpreted. In addition, journalists do not disdain “yellow” headlines and materials in pursuit of traffic.
On the Internet you can find the following text, for example: “In the far corner of the Universe there was a planet where gems literally fall from the sky, according to the results of a study by a group of astrophysicists from the University of Warwick (UK).” In fact, the gist of the news was that astronomers using the Kepler telescope had found a planet that may contain clouds of the mineral corundum. Its varieties are ruby and sapphire.
The meme owes its stability to the following reasons: the important role of Great Britain in the development of science; educational reforms of the last century; large share English scientific publications in the general mass; features of grant policy in the country, as well as orders from commercial organizations; distortion of research results due to lack of understanding by journalists.
For now, British scientists can't escape the stereotypical joke. And we can only wait for the next funny headlines.
The design uses a portrait of the British scientist Isaac Newton by Gottfried Kneller.
British scientists are the most “scientific” scientists... May 27th, 2016
It has long been noted that if the media talks about some new discovery, then almost always its authors are British scientists. Who are these people, how do they come up with ideas for the most incredible research, and who funds this research?...
The whole world is watching with delight the activities of these people. At the same time, British scientists themselves believe that the most smart people they live in England. According to a study, the UK ranks second after the US in terms of scientific discoveries and developments made during the year. Comparing this with the amount of funding for the scientific industry and the number of people working in it, the British concluded that local scientists work much more efficiently than their overseas colleagues.
As a rule, none of us can name a single scientist or university in which this or that “great mind” works for the benefit of human science, so we doubt: do they really exist? Or maybe this is a “media image” of recent decades? After all, no matter what nonsense we read in the media, it will certainly be supported by research from British scientists.
British scientists have finally understood why drunken men have “all women who are beautiful”
The study involved students who had to... get drunk. Next, they were asked to evaluate photographs of girls who had already been “sorted” in terms of attractiveness by a fairly large group of sober respondents.
Having looked closely at the photographs and analyzed the ratings given, scientists came to the conclusion that alcohol takes away people’s ability to adequately assess the symmetry of a face (after all, as you know, the more symmetrical a face is, the more beautiful it seems, based on current standards). Well, the vagueness of the lines always gave everything a certain mystery...
British scientists have proven that what is quickly raised is not considered to have fallen
Experts from the University of Manchester conducted a study to find out how dangerous it is to eat food picked up from the floor. As it turned out, the rule of 3 seconds, during which you can pick up and eat food that has fallen on the floor without fear of bacteria, really works.
True, only products industrial production With high content salt and sugar and low water content. But pasta, fruits, vegetables, bread should not be picked up from the floor, as even after 3 seconds dangerous bacteria appear on them.
British scientists have calculated the total weight of the Earth's population as 287 million tons.
The average adult weighs 62 kg, and in the USA this figure is a third higher, that is, Americans are the heaviest. If the average adult weight worldwide were the same as in the United States, it would be equivalent to an increase in population of one billion people.
British scientists have found that women itch 23% more often than men for genetic reasons.
And although experts only experimented on laboratory mice, the researchers are confident that the situation is exactly the same in females and males of Homo sapiens.
According to Jeffrey Modgil, a pain geneticist at Canada's McGill University, the mechanisms that provide such a difference between the sexes have not been thoroughly studied, but are apparently associated with the activity of gonadal hormones - estrogen, progesterone and testosterone.
Another shocking discovery by researchers from Foggy Albion has finally explained to those suffering from excess weight what their problem is. During scientific experiment British scientists have been able to establish that thin people tend to eat less than fat people.
British scientists have studied the musical tastes of parrots
Scientists from the University of Lincoln gave gray parrots a set of rhythmic songs from the repertoire of U2, Joan Baez and the reggae team UB40. The parrots liked the music: the birds tried to move to the beat and even sang along, using, among other things, a stock of human words.
And Bach's cantatas made the parrots relax and start preening their feathers. It is curious that parrots are not averse to listening to dance pop, but only if it is not electronic. Electronic pop music without a voice made them stressed.
British archaeologists, led by Professor Andrew Wallos-Handrill, studied the contents of a sewer in the ancient Roman city of Herculaneum
Scientists collected feces in 770 containers with a total weight of 10 tons, analyzed and found out what people who lived 2 thousand years ago ate. It turned out that the common people from Herculaneum ate quite well: fish, vegetables, eggs, olives, nuts, shellfish, fruits.
British researchers are scratching their heads over how to make cows pollute the air less.
UK authorities are concerned about methane emissions from cows and sheep. Scientists have been tasked with finding ways to reduce these emissions from livestock.
The UK government has allocated a budget for research in which scientists are trying to find a diet for cows that is less conducive to flatulence - they will be switched to more easily digestible food: white clover and the frog.
British scientists advise those who want to get rid of excess weight, have an affair on the side
According to Dr. Craig Jackson, professor of psychology at the University of Birmingham, cheating puts pressure on a person, increases stress levels, and as a result, the person begins to panic, lie and hide something. And all this leads to an increase in the level of cortisol and adrenaline, due to which the heartbeat accelerates and the body begins to burn calories. As a result of the study, representatives of the fair half of humanity lost up to 5 kg in weight, and the stronger sex - up to 3.
British scientists have discovered why men become dumb
The study found that those men who spend time communicating with beautiful women, a little dumber, those who hang out with the worst of the fair sex.
The likely reason for this is that men use their brains full program, and it is no longer enough to solve other mental problems.
British scientists spent 300 thousand pounds sterling on studying the interaction of ducks with water
Over the course of three years, they found out what types of swimming ducks prefer. As a result of this long-term study, they were able to find out: ducks really like to swim in rainy weather. It's funny, but the study was commissioned by the British Department of Agriculture (DEFRA).
British scientists made an incredible discovery in 2003:
they found that at least 9 out of 10 ladybugs in London suffer from fungal venereal diseases. It turns out that when ladybugs return from wintering, they begin to lead a promiscuous sex life, as a result of which they acquire a whole bunch of sexually transmitted diseases.
This figure is much higher than all other UK cities. “We think high air pollution is to blame,” says London-based researcher Greg Hurst. He says ladybugs feed on aphids, and there is no better environment for aphids than dirty air.
For five years, scientists from Britain “struggling” to develop chewing gum, which does not stick to anything, including asphalt
Scientists estimate that London's public utilities spend around £100,000 annually scraping chewing gum from the capital's streets. They finally found a formula for non-stick chewing gum.
British researchers have tested: if you yawn near a dog, then with a high degree of probability she will also yawn.
Therefore, dogs have some basic abilities for empathy and sympathy. Thus, scientists from Birkbeck College London suggest that dogs are able to “read” and understand the emotions of their owners.
Biologist Roger Wotton from University College London came to the sensational conclusion that angels in paintings and frescoes by European artists are not able to fly
The scientist said that the painted angels have too large bodies that are not covered with feathers. In addition, their muscular system is not developed enough for flight. What outraged him most was the implausibility of Giotto's one-winged angel.
According to British scientists, men prefer to marry brunettes
They believe that brunettes take better care of their appearance, cook better and keep their house perfectly clean.
They surveyed 1,000 men, and it turned out that 54% would choose a brunette as a wife, 16% would prefer a blonde, and 30% do not consider hair color to be significant at all when choosing a life partner.
Brilliant thoughts come closer to night
British scientists have found that inspiration is most likely to come to a person at exactly 22:04. During the study, experts interviewed 1,436 people. It turned out that 92% of them do not feel inspired at all after noon, as a result of which 16:33 was recognized as the most useless time of day. But the most inspiring time was 22:04
A scientist at Trinity College, Cambridge, named Rupert Sheldrake, devoted his career to studying the phenomenon of telephone telepathy.
Rupert suggests that people have the ability to guess who is about to call them, even before the phone rings. In his first study, 63 people took part, and in 45% of cases, the subjects were actually able to predict who exactly would contact them by phone in the near future. In their next works Rupert proposes to prove the presence of SMS telepathy.
1. It was British scientists who unearthed the oldest joke in the world. It was invented and written down in 1900 BC. It seems that its authors, the ancient Sumerians, were the direct ancestors of Yevgeny Petrosyan: “Since time immemorial, there has not been such a thing as a girl farting while sitting on her husband’s lap.”
2. British scientists were able to prove that a person can become infected with a computer virus. In order to make this discovery, computer science luminary Mark Gasson had to implant a chip with a program into his hand.
3. British scientists made an incredible discovery in 2003: they found that at least 9 out of 10 ladybugs in London suffer from sexually transmitted diseases. It turns out that when ladybugs return from wintering, they begin to lead a promiscuous sex life, as a result of which they acquire a whole bunch of sexually transmitted diseases. It is not reported whether British scientists are developing a special barrier contraception for lustful insects.
4. In 2007, the best forces of British science were thrown into the development of chewing gum that does not stick to anything, including asphalt. Scientists estimate that London's public utilities spend around £100,000 annually scraping chewing gum from the capital's streets. Researchers have been struggling to solve this problem for 5 years.
5. The best people The University of Leeds conducted a study to find the formula for the perfect bacon sandwich. As many as 50 English test subjects helped scientists in this difficult task, trying various samples of sandwiches. As a result, it turned out that the loudness of the bacon crunch while biting into a sandwich should be 0.5 decibels, and the formula for an ideal sandwich looks like this: N=C+(fb(cm) fb(tc))+fb(Ts)+fc ta.
6. Scientists from the University of East Anglia have made a discovery that is useful for many children: it turns out that fish oil is not good for health at all. It is generally accepted that regular consumption of fish oil can reduce the risk of developing heart disease. But British researchers could not find a link between omega 3 fats found in fish and the incidence of heart disease.
7. British scientists spent 300 thousand pounds sterling on studying the interaction of ducks with water. As a result of a long study, they were able to find out that ducks prefer rain, which replaces a shower, to all other ways to spend time in the water.
8. Sex is better than masturbation - this is the shocking conclusion that British researchers came to. It turns out that an orgasm obtained during intercourse with a partner satisfies a person better than an orgasm obtained with one’s own hand.
9. From 2001 to 2006, luminaries of British science conducted a study in which 516 experimental drivers took part. It turned out that the majority of drivers who violate the rules more often than others traffic, are latent homosexuals. The publication of the study results caused a wave of protests among English and Scottish drivers, but the scientists expressed their willingness to prove to everyone that they were irrefutably right.
10. Another shocking discovery by researchers from Foggy Albion has finally explained to those suffering from excess weight what their problem is. During a scientific experiment, British scientists were able to establish that thin people, as a rule, eat less than overweight people.
11. Scientists from the University of Southampton involved 277 children in one of their studies. By experimenting with their diet, scientists have come to the conclusion that eating food with food dyes and preservatives has a bad effect on children's behavior: children become hyperactive and sometimes completely uncontrollable.
12. A really useful discovery was made by a group of researchers from the Universities of Leicester and Exeter: they found that drinking alcohol does not in any way affect the ability of men to estimate the age of girls. To do this, scientists had to go to bars and interview about 240 drinking Britons.
13. A scientist from Trinity College Cambridge named Rupert Sheldrake made a strong-willed decision to devote his career to studying the phenomenon of telephone telepathy. Rupert suggests that people have the ability to guess who is about to call them, even before the phone rings. In his first study, 63 people took part, and in 45% of cases, the subjects were actually able to predict who exactly would contact them by phone in the near future. In his next works, Rupert plans to prove the existence of SMS telepathy.
"article" British scientists have found that...", where we will talk about what British scientists have found out.
British scientists have found that ducks love rain. that it took scientists three years and 300 thousand pounds sterling to discover what every villager knows.
Finding out that ducks love rain cost British taxpayers £300,000. This is exactly the amount the ministry spent on environment, food and agriculture(The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, DEFRA) for research that lasted about three years, The Daily Mail reports.
Another group of scientists discovered that dogs yawn after their owners. The amazing addiction is driven by the dog's cognitive-behavioral instincts.
Experiments by scientists from the University of London have shown that domestic dogs begin to yawn after their owners. According to researchers, this indicates that pets tend to empathize and copy the emotions of their owners.
British scientists also conducted a study, during which it was discovered that cats prefer to use their right front paw to perform complex actions, and cats prefer to use their left. However, on average, all cats are ambidextrous, that is, they can use both the right and left front paws equally well.
By the way, there was already an article about this study -
British scientists have also found that among the ants there are also scammers and corrupt officials. Which, however, is logical, since ants are social insects with a rigid hierarchical system of life organization.
An unusual discovery was made by scientists from Great Britain and Denmark: it turns out that ants are also characterized by dishonest behavior and corruption. The article, in which scientists describe how ants deceive their fellows, was published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Another discovery by British scientists looks almost touching: they found that nine out of ten London ladybugs suffer from a fungal venereal disease. However, sexually transmitted diseases in insects are mild.
A person can die of boredom - this is also one of the recent statements of British scientists. By the end of the study, approximately 40% of the subjects who suffered from boredom died.
Being an excellent student is dangerous for mental health. According to British scientists, schoolchildren with only excellent grades are much more likely to suffer from manic-depressive psychosis than students with average academic performance.
British scientists from Keele University conducted an experiment proving the fact that swearing and foul language can reduce physical pain. The Telegraph newspaper reported this.
Another experiment found that smiling doesn't make anyone feel better. The strange thing is that the experiments were carried out on laboratory snails and snakes.
Parents scold their children for telling lies, and they themselves tell lies on average 100 times a year, British scientists have calculated. However, there is another study that clearly demonstrates that, on average, modern man tells lies 3.5 times a day.
British scientists worked tirelessly so that we could enjoy the results of their work. Top most extraordinary discoveries over the past couple of years.
1. The placement of toilet paper as a reflection of a person’s personal qualities. Note to HR department
About 2,000 men and women took part in this study. Scientists have figured out exactly how people have toilet paper on the holder - with the tear-off end towards you or away from you and compared the results with personal qualities subjects. The results are as follows: those people who placed the paper with the tear-off end towards themselves have leadership qualities. Those who hung the paper with the tear-off end to the wall are more flexible and suitable for performing activities.2. Sex life improves after 80
Researchers conducted a survey among 7,000 people aged 50 to 90 years and found that among those who are still able to have sex, those in the oldest age category are more satisfied. According to the survey, there are fewer of them who do this “out of obligation,” and fewer of those who are dissatisfied with their partner’s sex appeal. In addition, according to the survey results, adults are more quickly aroused and are more emotionally close to their partner.
3. You should not give up your seat to older people on public transport.
To hell with parenting rules! Oxford University professor and Public Health England adviser Sir Muir Gray is serious. He argues that to maintain normal well-being, older people need to be active for at least ten minutes a day. This includes walking, climbing stairs or walking. He warns: "Think twice before giving up your seat on a bus or tram to an elderly person. Riding standing up will be the best exercise for him."He is echoed by Scarlett McNally, an orthopedic surgeon at Eastbourne District Hospital. general profile, which believes that many diseases are associated with a lack of physical activity. “The more we move, the better. The simplest exercises - walking along the corridor and squats by the bed - are available even to patients undergoing inpatient treatment. You just need to want to be healthy a little.” It seems that everything is correct, but forcing your grandmother to stand on the bus is somehow not humane.
4. Playing Tetris reduces libido by 13%
Before going to bed, you should not play Tetris, say British scientists from Plymouth University. As it turned out, this game significantly dulls many desires, including basic ones: a person does not want to eat and, even more funny, drink. Well, where does this fit in!
5. Not such a useless discovery: reading is the best remedy for anxiety, stress and worries
British scientists recognized reading the best remedy from worries, anxiety and stress. The study found that reading reduces stress by 68%. Just six minutes is enough to relax your muscles and normalize your heart rate.6. Cravings for sweets can replace sleep
Now those with a sweet tooth won’t have to beat themselves on the wrist, preventing them from touching a piece of their favorite cake. If you want something sweet, go to bed, say British scientists. Researchers at King's College London have found a relationship between sleep duration and adherence to healthy food. Those who sleep a lot try to eat right, they say. Just 21 extra minutes of sleep a day can help you lose several kilograms, says one of the study volunteers. The man went to bed as soon as he wanted something sweet, and over time, his dependence on tasty but unhealthy food decreased noticeably.However, British scientists did not say what to do if the desire to eat a piece of chocolate strikes you at work.
7. Cannibalism was unprofitable for ancient man, so people preferred to hunt wild animals
Hunting for a mammoth was more profitable because the hunters immediately received a large carcass, wool, bones - in a word, a lot healthy products, while the person was much less productive. On average, a mammoth carcass provided the tribe with 3,600,000 calories, a woolly rhinoceros - 1,260,000 kcal, and a bison - 979,200 kcal, while a person had only 125,822 calories - and even then, for an average, well-fed man.Therefore, if there were cases of cannibalism in the tribes, they were of a ritual nature.
8. Pigs have their optimists and pessimists.
Pigs can be pessimists or optimists just like people, British scientists from the University of Lincoln have found. The study analyzed the behavior of 36 animals that were offered chocolate or coffee beans in bowls. The third bowl was empty - it was placed between these two.Those pigs that showed interest in an empty bowl were called optimists by British scientists. Researchers are sure that the animals did this in the hope of finding something more attractive in the bowl than coffee beans or chocolate. A bowl of sweet delicacy was chosen by those who are not used to good things and are ready for a bird in the hand instead of a pie in the sky,
9. Beer is liquid medicine
After 18 experiments conducted by scientists from the University of Greenwich in England, it was found that drinking 2 pints of beer (1 English pint - 0.56 l) reduces pain by almost a third, acting as an analgesic. Study leader Dr Trevor Thompson says alcohol can be compared to opioid drugs such as codeine and has a stronger effect than paracetamol. True, it immediately warns about the harm that alcohol can cause to a person.
10. Heading is harmful to the health of football players
Hitting the head with a ball in football is not only inevitable, but common. However, even a few hits are enough for small but important changes to occur in the functioning of a football player’s brain. Scientists from the University of Stirling in Scotland say that after 20 headers, memory function decreases by 41-67%, and it takes at least a day to restore it to its previous level. The scientists' study was published in the journal EBioMedicine.
11. Strategy for winning the game “rock-paper-scissors”
In March 2016, researchers from the British University of Sussex announced that they now knew exactly the strategy for winning the game “rock-paper-scissors.” According to the results of statistical data, a study of people's behavior during the game, they said: the only way to win is without thinking. Those who throw their fingers at random, without thinking about a certain combination, win more often. But even in this case, we should not forget that the chances of winning are one in three.
12. The third one is not superfluous
Scientists from the universities of Nottingham, Bristol and Swansea have calculated the optimal number of sexual partners for future spouses before marriage. It is optimal if there are no more than 3 of them. This average, because British men and women showed different preferences for their partners' sexual activity during the premarital period. Women didn't want to marry a virgin, but they also didn't like it if a man had more than 6 women. Men were not against a virgin, but had a negative attitude if she future wife there would have been more than 10 partners before marriage.
13. Speed of movement of Santa Claus
Physicist from the University of Exeter Katie Shin explains the ability of Father Christmas to deliver gifts in time by the fact that he moves at a speed of ten million kilometers per hour.No comments.
14. Lying out of habit
When asked “how are you”, most people lie, say scientists from the UK Mental Health Foundation. At the same time, men lie twice as often as women; a third of respondents answer the question vaguely. 1/5 considers this question to be a common turn of phrase. And 59% of those who are asked “how are you” are sure that people do not want to know the details and the truth when asking this question.
15. British scientists discovered the reason for the appearance of British scientists
The very term “British scientists” has long been used on the Internet to mean figures who deal with obviously stupid problems that have a very indirect relationship to science. They regularly publish new research results, but only a small number of them are important for science.Experts from the University of Exeter and Bristol decided to find out where these same scientists come from. In our opinion, Russian users knew even without these studies that the reason for these stupid studies was exclusively mercantile - the grant system that works in the country. It is precisely this that encourages “scientists” to give their projects loud names and talk about equally loud results.
An interesting finding: consciously or not, researchers try to adapt their work methods to the methods of evaluation of projects by the foundations that provide grants. Largest quantity scientists who propose money receive money small projects, the name of which contains big words like “innovative”, “newest”. Such projects are poorly tested, and are often simply adjusted to fit the original objectives. The effectiveness of the work of scientists who work on such problems is very low - therefore, most of the grant is wasted. The researchers see a way out in the fact that funds must be directed to supporting medium and large projects, as well as to a thorough audit of the results provided.
