I suspect that this is an instance of the Heisenberg uncertainty
principle at work. Heisenberg said (in essence) that the act of trying
to measure something changes the thing being measured. He was talking
about advanced physics, but I think the principle applies.
The poor old sods who were trying to follow the instructions were
probably unaccustomed to trying NOT to look, and the fact that they were
instructed NOT to look merely increased theit interest in looking!
They didn't reduce the stress of the lookers as much as they greatly
increased the stress of the NON-lookers, skewing the results.
> Date: Wed, 01 Mar 2000 09:50:47 -0500
> From: Bill Saidel <saidel@crab.rutgers.edu>
> Subject: news of the strange-No LBC content
>
> Sorry to flood the list with this but I read many strange science notes as
> part of my work
> and this so-called 'scientific' study ranks in the stratosphere with the
> studies on brain waves
> of twins during ESP experiments.
>
> Besides, I've received many laughs from the list. I am sure this
> contribution will prove to be
> a worthy addition.
> - -----------------------------------------------
> Men's Health
> Great news for girl watchers: Ogling over women's
> breasts is good for man's health and can add years to
> his life, medical experts have discovered.
> According to the New England Journal of Medicine,
> "Just 10 minutes of staring at the charms of a
> well-endowed female is equivalent to a 30-minute
> aerobics work-out, "declared gerontologist Dr. Karen
> Weatherby. Dr. Weatherby and fellow researchers at three hospitals in
> Frankfurt, Germany, reached the startling conclusion
> after comparing the health of 200 male outpatients -
> half of whom were instructed to look at busty females
> daily, the other half told to refrain from doing so.
> The study revealed that after five years, the
> chest-watchers had lower blood pressure, slower
> resting pulse rates and fewer instances of coronary artery
> disease. "Sexual excitement gets the heart pumping and
> improves blood circulation," explains Dr. Weatherby.
> "There's no question: Gazing at breasts makes men
> healthier. Our study indicates that engaging in
> this activity a few minutes daily cuts the risk of
> stroke and heart attack in half." "We believe that by
> doing so consistently, the average man can extend his
> life four to five years."
>
>
> Bill, '76B "who is happily extending his life!"
>
> And so should you...
>
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