Counterintuitive scientific findings, verified and well-sourced. No clickbait. No sensationalism. Just the research.
A Monash University meta-analysis of 13 randomized controlled trials found no evidence that breakfast aids weight loss. Breakfast eaters consumed 260 extra calories per day and weighed slightly more than those who skipped it entirely.
The Finnish FIDELITY trial randomized 146 patients with degenerative meniscal tears to arthroscopic partial meniscectomy or sham surgery. At 12 months, outcomes were identical. At 10 years, the surgery group had more osteoarthritis and three times the rate of knee replacement.
A JAMA meta-analysis pooling 23 double-blind, placebo-controlled experiments found that sugar has no measurable effect on children's behavior or cognitive performance. The "sugar high" persists as a cultural belief driven almost entirely by parental expectation.
A randomized trial of 1,440 households in rural Kenya found that unconditional cash transfers raised consumption by 22%, increased assets by 61%, and improved psychological well-being, while spending on alcohol and tobacco did not increase.
A landmark review examined 50 years of learning-styles research and found virtually no evidence that matching instruction to a student's preferred style improves outcomes.
A landmark review of 10 study techniques across hundreds of experiments rated highlighting, rereading, and summarization as low utility. Only practice testing and distributed practice earned the highest rating.
A meta-analysis of 66 studies spanning 45 years found that acute sleep deprivation produces rapid antidepressant effects in roughly half of depressed patients.
A study of 118 burn patients found nighttime injuries took 28 days to heal versus 17 for daytime burns, driven by circadian rhythms in individual skin cells.
A Cochrane systematic review of 946 juveniles across nine experiments found that prison-visit deterrence programs raised the odds of reoffending by 68%.
A Drexel University review of 196 experiments across 12 studies found that potted plants remove VOCs so slowly that you'd need 10 to 1,000 plants per square meter to match basic ventilation.
A natural experiment exploiting Indiana's 2006 statewide adoption of DST found it increased residential electricity consumption by 1–4%, costing households $9 million per year.
The most comprehensive meta-analysis of financial education research found that teaching people about compound interest, budgeting, and debt management accounts for essentially none of their actual financial decisions.
Two Fortune 500 companies outfitted employees with sociometric sensors before and after converting cubicles to open plans. Face-to-face conversation plummeted while email and instant messaging surged.
A Cochrane review of 78 trials and 296,707 participants found that beta-carotene and vitamin E supplements increase all-cause mortality.
Experiments at the University of Waterloo found that positive self-statements backfired for those who needed them most.
A meta-analysis of 20 studies found that brainstorming groups generate fewer ideas than the same number of people working independently.
A systematic review of 25 RCTs found stretching had no injury prevention benefit, while strength training cut risk by over a third.
A study of 332 adults across five populations found total energy expenditure plateaus above moderate activity. Your body compensates.
Consumers were 10× more likely to buy jam when offered 6 options instead of 24. More choice led to worse decisions and lower satisfaction.
A pre-registered Oxford study of 1,004 adolescents using objective violence ratings found zero relationship with aggressive behavior.