11 Most Pointless Scientific Studies Ever

By Stevie Shephard /

9. Sword Swallowing Can Hurt You

BBC

In a study called Sword swallowing and its side effects, Brian Witcombe, consultant radiologist, looked at 110 sword swallowers from 16 countries and discovered that they are a higher risk of injury than someone who, for example, doesn't swallow swords for a living.

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In even more shocking news, he discovered that the risk of injury increased "when the swallower is distracted or swallows multiple or unusual swords".

And what did the venerable Brian Witcombe discover was the most common ailment of the sword swallower? A sore throat, of course.

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Keep up the good work, Brian.