As hard
as it can be to get through a dense scientific paper filled with academic
jargon, it's probably just as hard — if not harder — to write one. Perhaps no
one knows that better than clinical psychologist Dennis Upper. We guarantee his
1974 paper will be the easiest one you have ever, and will ever, read.
In the mid-1970's, Upper tackled the
annoyingly persistent plague all creatives know and hate: writer's block.
Apparently, scientists struggle with putting pen to paper too. Upper decided to
apply the scientific method to the issue of writer's block to see if he could
treat it in himself. Unfortunately, that meant combatting writer's block by,
well, writing about it. Predictably, it didn't work out.
But
hey, for a scientist, no results can be results in themselves. His paper
"The unsuccessful self-treatment of a case of 'writer's block''" is completely blank, save for the
title, journal, references, and comments by a reviewer. The study was published
without revision in the distinguished Journal of Applied Behavioural Analysis
in 1974. It is officially the shortest scientific paper ever published.
The
reviewer's comments, however, are the main attraction of this document. "I
have studied this manuscript very carefully with lemon juice and X-rays and
have not detected a single flaw in either design or writing style," wrote
the anonymous reviewer. "I suggest it be published without revision.
Clearly it is the most concise manuscript I have ever seen — yet it contains
sufficient detail to allow other investigators to replicate Dr. Upper's
failure. In comparison with the other manuscripts I get from you containing all
that complicated detail, this one was a pleasure to examine. Surely we can find
a place for this paper in the Journal — perhaps on the edge of a blank
page."
Upper isn't the only abnormally concise scientist on the block. Don't believe me? The entire abstract of a 2011 study is a whole two words: "Probably not."
This 1966 article is the shortest known paper published in a serious math journal, and it's all of two sentences.
(curiosity.com/Joanie Fealtto)
----fishducky
