This article was taken from the January 2014 issue of Wired magazine. Be the first to read Wired's articles in print before they're posted online, and get your hands on loads of additional content by subscribing online.
Every day, spurious "scientific" studies find their way into the tabloids -- often to promote brands. Surely they can't all be useless?
According to the Daily Mail, scientists have recently discovered the "formula" for the perfect Margherita (in a study sponsored by a pizza restaurant), for the perfect ratio of rice to sauce in a curry (in a study sponsored by a rice company) and for the perfect night's sleep (in research sponsored by a bedding company). In fact, sponsored "boffins" have unveiled nearly all the equations governing the natural world, including the perfect cup of tea and leading a happy life. Such subjective formulae have a proud tradition in the popular press. But just how useful -- or not -- are they? Wired charts the Daily Mail's breakthroughs from 2004 to present day.
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
