The Register® — Biting the hand that feeds IT

Feeds

Boozing boffins contribute less to science

More beer, less research

SaaS data loss: The problem you didn’t know you had

A Czech researcher has stayed out of the pub long enough to demonstrate that those scientists who don't follow his shining example produce fewer papers, attract fewer citations per paper, and fewer citations overall.

Thomáš Grim's grim findings, reported in the Journal of Unlikely Science, will certainly come as a terrible shock to those among you who are convinced that deep insights in superstrings and dark matter can only be achieved following rigorous intake of ale*, but there you have it.

It's not just the quality of boozing boffins' work that suffers, either. They might also risk depression, "lack of co-operation with others", and decreased employability prospects, according to Grim.

Grim is apparently perfectly placed to probe the link between alcohol and (lack of) scientific rigour, since the Czech Republic boasts the highest per-capita intake of beer in the world. His advice seems to be that to better advance humanity the eggheads among you should avoid both the boozer and the Czech Republic. Iran's nuclear programme seems to fit the bill nicely... ®

Bootnote

*Professor Innes Cuthill of the University of Bristol did indeed express surprise at Grim's results, telling the Journal of Unlikely Science: "I would have thought the relationship would have been the other way round." We'll drink to that.

Magic Quadrant for Enterprise Backup/Recovery

Latest Comments

Ale?

I think this research was conducted using Czech Pilsner-type lager, not ale, so the results may be different using that. May I suggest similar research in the UK?

<nitpick> His name is Tomáš, not Thomáš.

My coat please, I'm heading out for a beer.

0
0

El Reg...

You're my best mate, you are, I luv you, you an' me aginst a wurld...

0
0

Most of them need to shut up

The lack of decent quality in research lately proves there are a lot of tea totaling, blathering, inconclusive, nitwits crapping out more disposable science, than you can shake a stick at, drink don't publish if it's compelling enough to poke through your inebriation then write about it.

0
0

More from The Register

Boffins find evidence Atlantic Ocean has started closing
'Embryonic subduction zone' that flattened Lisbon headed for Blighty
Google launches broadband balloons, radio astronomy frets
A careless Loon could blind the square kilometre array
 breaking news
You've seen the Large Hadron Collider. Now comes the HUGE Hadron Collider
International Linear Collider ready to rock and roll
Headbangers have a gas, gas, gas in mosh pits
Boffins say heavy metal crowds behave like The Vapours
Hubble spies unlikely planet being born in hostile neighborhood
Hoovering a cloud of sand 7.5 billion miles from a tiny star
 breaking news
Jaguar to open new car-making factory in Blighty (virtually)
Britain still makes stuff, it's just not real any more...
 breaking news
China's second woman 'naut blasts off for coupling in HEAVEN
Wang and pals test the cosmic waters for Chinese space station
Scientists investigate 'dark lightning' threat to aircraft passengers
One stormy flight could give lifetime radiation dose
 breaking news
Chinese 'nauts prep for next coupling in Heaven, clear way for new station
Second woman taikonaut and pals test tech for China's own orbiting platform