New study underscores the problem of binge drinking on college campuses.
The cheaper the beer, the more of it that college students will drink. Men are more open than women to a stranger's proposition for sex. The opposite sex looks more attractive after a few drinks.
To many, the above statements may seem obvious. But to some researchers, they may be the starting point for months of study, culminating in published research.
But is such research worth the time, effort and money that goes into it?
For some topics, the surprising answer may be yes. In the case of the study concerning the relationship between alcohol prices and college drinking, the researchers say that a greater understanding of this relationship could help foster more knowledge of alcohol use in general among college students – and potentially save thousands of students from death and injury from alcohol-related mishaps.
In other cases, however, the exact aim of research may be an enigma.
"There's plenty of research out there that doesn't need to be done, and why somebody funds it is one of the great mysteries of life," said Merrill Goozner, director of the integrity in science project at the Center for Science in the Public Interest.
Marc Abrahams, editor of Improbable Research, an organization that tracks unusual research studies, said that with thousands of medical journals published in the United States, part of the reason there are so many studies is simply because of the way academia works.
"In order to get hired, in order to keep your job and to get promoted, you have to publish a lot of studies," Abrahams told ABCNews.com. "There are an awful lot of studies that were done apparently because somebody needed to get some more things on their resume."
The following pages take a look at some of the research that has covered what some would call common knowledge. But what you read may surprise you.
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