10 Eccentric Questions That Scientists Have Actually Attempted to Resolve

When science is on a roll, it’s awe-inspiring, enlightening, and offers profound insights. But on its off days, it can be unsettling, disturbing, and utterly bizarre. We dug through some very strange questions to compile this list of the oddest scientific queries. Imagine searching a simple term on Google and finding results that completely throw you off.

Tequila-made diamonds, panda dung used for compost, uncontrollable coffee mugs, oddly swaying ponytails, and the brain activity of a dead salmon were some of the tamer discoveries. Once we encountered 'how to prevent a patient from exploding during a colonoscopy,' we decided it was time to stop.

Nevertheless, we soldiered on, filtering through all the grotesque results from these dubious queries just for you. Here’s what we unearthed from that unsettling journey.

10: Does your posture impact your ability to make accurate estimates?

Leaning slightly to the left can lead to lower estimates in all kinds of measurements. Whether it’s population numbers, alcohol content in a bottle, the number of chart-topping hits by a band, or the height of a building—tilting left tends to produce a lower estimate than the actual value [source: Eerland].

A study at Erasmus University Rotterdam revealed that participants, unknowingly tilted during the test, gave higher estimates when leaning right, and lower ones when tilting left. The difference between standing upright and tilting right wasn’t significant, possibly because all participants were right-handed. Clearly, more research is needed!

9: Can naming a cow lead to more milk production?

While it might not be entirely about the name, one study concluded that when stock managers personally recognize each cow in the herd, the milk production of those favored cows significantly increases. The difference? About 68 gallons (258 liters) more annually, based on a survey of 516 stock managers from U.K. dairy farms [source: Bertenshaw, Rowlinson].

There are still some questions about causation and correlation to be explored, and more research is needed to confirm these findings. But if you enjoy milk from a cow who’s well-loved, you're likely to be receiving much more of it.

8: Why don't pregnant women topple over?

It's the sort of question a child wonders out loud – usually very loud – in line at the grocery store, much to the horror of mom or dad. Still, how do pregnant women manage to haul their baby-filled bellies around without falling over?

Well, science is here to inform you, in the form of a study published in the journal Nature. Ladies can do something fancy with their backbones that men can't – they can compact the vertebrae in their lumbar area more easily. That means the bones in their lower backs are shaped more like wedges than those of males. So as women become increasingly pregnant, they can rock back on their spines to support and balance the additional weight [source: Whitcome]. Good thing too, for our species, don't you think?

7: How much wood could a woodchuck chuck?

Woodchucks aren't actually fond of wood (well, of eating it anyway – they might get all Bob Ross if they tried painting happy little trees) so their reputation for "chucking" isn't particularly accurate. But, if a woodchuck were so inclined, what would his rate of his fibrous chomping be?

Answer: Every day, an average of 22.0859393 cubic inches (361.9237001 cubic centimeters) of wood meets its untimely end. Yes, you read that right. Researchers introduced a piece of lumber into a voracious woodchuck's enclosure, where 22 cubic inches of wood were devoured daily [source: Scientopia]. The little groundhogs were subjected to a rather monotonous diet over a 12-day study (one two-by-four per day is enough to keep you going) and the research wrapped up quickly and with surprising finality.

The study was so extraordinary that it found its way into the Annals of Improbable Research.

6: Are cabbies' brains better than the rest of ours?

Between bad weather and irritable passengers, driving a cab is undoubtedly tough even on a good day. Add to that the nightmare of navigating through a poorly planned urban maze, and the task becomes even more daunting. So how do taxi drivers manage this? By expanding certain areas of their brains to cope with the chaos.

London taxi drivers must undergo rigorous exams to earn the right to operate the iconic black cabs seen all around London. A study conducted at University College London spanning five years reveals that the brains of successful drivers are more finely tuned in certain areas than those who fail. Specifically, the hippocampi of the skilled drivers are notably more developed, which is a key part of memory processing [source: Jabr].

5: Can you design a bra that doubles as a gas mask?

Yes, you can! One for you and one for your seatmate. But be sure to wear your C-cup first before helping others. While this may sound comical, the reasoning behind the research is more serious. Following the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, individuals could have avoided excessive exposure to iodine-131 (a harmful radioactive substance) if they had immediate access to gas masks [source: Daily Mail].

Since many women don't wear lingerie daily, equipping them with bras that can also serve as life-saving devices makes practical sense. And it's not only nuclear fallout that could make these bras essential – they could be a lifesaver in numerous high-risk situations where breathable air is in jeopardy. These innovative bras could be your go-to solution when air quality takes a drastic turn for the worse.

4: Is it possible to capture blink-free photographs?

When trying to snap a picture of a group with everyone’s eyes wide open, you're likely going to need multiple attempts. After all, every family has its fair share of habitual blinkers.

So, how many shots should you take? Australian researchers have formulated an equation for this. If you’re taking a photo in low-light conditions with fewer than 20 people, you’ll need to divide the number of people by two and snap that many pictures to ensure at least one will have everyone's eyes open. For well-lit environments, dividing the number by three will suffice. Other factors to consider include shutter speed and blink frequency [source: Cheung].

3: Do chickens prefer hot humans?

Relax, chickens aren't about to toss us on a grill. It's not that kind of hot. However, they might judge us in what could only be described as the most awkward swimsuit competition ever.

It seems that, like college students, chickens are drawn to the hotter crowd. Or at least, that's what the most attractive computer-generated faces developed by researchers in Stockholm suggest. One study revealed that chickens overwhelmingly preferred the most attractive faces. While we can't be entirely sure if they were really impressed by the computer-generated images, it wouldn't hurt to look your best the next time you visit a chicken coop. Fair is fair [source: Ghirlanda].

2: If you hear yourself talking, will you want to shut up?

Yes. It turns out that hearing your own voice with even a slight delay of just a few hundred milliseconds can drive even the most talkative individuals a bit crazy.

A device called the SpeechJammer, invented by Japanese innovators Kazutaka Kurihara and Koji Tsukada, creates what's known as delayed auditory feedback. While this technology has practical applications, like in business settings, the real fun lies in using it to annoy loud people in quiet environments. Whether they're near or far, you can tweak the settings to make the feedback as obnoxious as possible – just like them!

1: Is it better to be struck by a full beer bottle or an empty one?

The answer should really be 'neither.' It's best to avoid being hit in the head with a beer bottle altogether. But in the unfortunate event that it's unavoidable, which would be worse: being struck by a full bottle or one that's already been emptied?

According to a study published in the Journal of Forensic and Legal Medicine, there are a couple of factors to consider. Full beer bottles break with 25 percent less force than empty ones, but they still have enough strength to crack your skull. They shatter more easily, but they deliver 70 percent more striking power [sources: Troop, Bollinger].

So it really comes down to this: do you feel luckier risking sharp trauma from shattered glass or blunt trauma from an unbroken bottle, or would you rather take your chances and see your brains splattered (which could happen either way)? Not the best options, unless you're the zombie in the corner, who’s probably rooting for option three.