50 Interesting Studies Conducted Whose Results Will Surprise You

Researchers have found that naturally occurring lithium in the water supply lowered suicide rates. They were able to measure lithium levels in 27 Texas counties and showed that those with more lithium in their water had fewer suicides. Similar studies in Greece, Austria, and Japan corroborated the results.

2. A Harvard study found that hiring one highly productive ‘toxic worker’ does more damage to a company’s bottom line than employing several less productive, but more cooperative, workers.

3. In 1825, a British geologist went to Sicily and examined the remains of a supposed female saint. He concluded that they weren’t human and likely belonged to a goat. He told the priests, who kicked him out and then placed the bones into a casket to prevent future study.

4. An observational study of handwashing after toilet use at an Infectious Disease conference found that compliance with hand hygiene after toilet visits was 84% for conference participants, 75% for members of the public, and only 46% for hospital staff.

5. According to a study, strict parents can turn their kids into more effective liars because children who are afraid to tell the truth learn more deceptive behaviors to avoid getting in trouble.

A Stanford study (2016) found a positive correlation between the use of profanity and honesty. In both individuals and groups, those who use profanity tend to be more honest.

7. A UK study found that in divorce cases, husbands engaged in affairs in 75% of cases, wives in 25% of the cases. 53% of divorces were marriages that lasted 10-15 years, 40% ending after 5-10 years. The study found that if a marriage survives over 20 years it is unlikely to end in divorce.

8. A 2011 blind study showed that people overwhelming prefer “professional” abstract art over similar art created by toddlers. Participants even preferred professional paintings when they were labeled as being painted by a child.

9. The study that yielded the concept of the alpha wolf (commonly used by people to justify aggressive behavior) originated in a debunked model using just a few wolves in captivity. Its originator spent years trying to stop the myth to no avail.

10. In the longest study of humans ever conducted, the 75 years long Harvard Grant Study found that professional success in life comes from having done chores as a kid.

Researches at Harvard and Columbia concluded that sarcasm promotes creative thinking because both the expressers and recipients of sarcasm need to overcome the contradiction between the literal and actual meanings of the sarcastic expressions.

12. A scientific study found that starting high school one hour later than usual, allowed students to sleep more than half an hour more, and was associated with reduced sleepiness and increased academic performance.

13. In the late 1960s, some researchers reported that catnip gave people a marijuana-like high when smoked, but it turned out they had simply mixed up the two plants.

14. A U.S. FDA study showed that 90% of more than 100 drugs, prescription and over-the-counter, “were perfectly good to use even 15 years after the expiration date.” The U.S. military saved $260 million in five years by not discarding expired drugs.

15. Giraffes were thought to be nearly completely silent because their long necks make vocal vibration difficult. However, researchers spent 8 years recording almost 1000 hours of audio at three zoos and discovered that giraffes produce a spooky, deep humming noise, almost like tantric chanting.

A study has shown that male Robins make the best bird husbands as they possess the capability to guess what their wives want to eat. Whether or not they saw what the females ate last, they can still get exactly what their partner wished for. They are also monogamous.

17. A study has revealed that the majority of American dog owners are willing to end their relationship if their dog doesn’t like their partner.

18. Farm-raised ostriches are attracted to humans and a scientific study found that “70% of the ostriches reliably hit on the humans when they were around,” and they would solicit sex “more than twice as often when the humans were nearby.”

19. A recent study out of the University of Kansas found that it takes about 50 hours of socializing to go from acquaintance to casual friend, an additional 40 hours to become a “real” friend, and a total of 200 hours to become a close friend.

20. According to NASA researchers, an optimal nap will last between 20-30 minutes and a perfect nap will last exactly 26 minutes.

The song “Mr. Blue Sky” by the Electric Light Orchestra was found to be the happiest song ever using a formula made by studying songs from a period of 50 years.

22. A psychology study of more than 4,000 millionaires found that people with more wealth are indeed happier with life. They also found that people who earned their wealth were happier than those who inherited it.

23. Some physical expressions are hardwired into our genes. A study has observed that blind athletes (and blind kids) use the victory gesture (raising hands) after winning even though they have never seen anyone else do it.

24. Following an immensely popular TED talk about the benefits of power poses, many politicians adopted wide-legged stances in photos, but 11 further studies on power posing failed to replicate the original findings. There is no science to it at all.

25. A study has shown that an average male gets bored on a shopping trip after just 26 minutes while an average woman tires after around two hours.