Research
The most widely cited article from Medical Hypotheses was published in 1991 by RS Smith in which he proposed the macrophage theory of depression as an alternative to the monoamine theory of depression. Other famous articles featured in the journal include the proposal from Jarl Flensmark of Malmo, Sweden, that schizophrenia may be caused by wearing heeled shoes, and an article from Svetlana Komarova of McGill University positing that facial hair may play a role in preventing the development of cancer.
In what psychiatrist and The Guardian columnist Ben Goldacre called an "almost surreally crass paper", two Medical Hypotheses authors posited "mongoloid" as an accurate term for people with Down syndrome because those with Down's share characteristics with people of Asian origin, including a reported interest in crafts, sitting with crossed legs and eating foods containing monosodium glutamate (MSG). Correspondence items have presented masturbation as a treatment for nasal congestion. Science reported that a 2009 paper by Georg Steinhauser on navel lint "became an instant classic".
In 2007, journalist Roger Dobson published a book in which he collected and described 100 Medical Hypotheses articles called Death Can Be Cured.
Read more about this topic: Medical Hypotheses
Famous quotes containing the word research:
“If politics is the art of the possible, research is surely the art of the soluble. Both are immensely practical-minded affairs.”
—Peter B. Medawar (1915–1987)
“It is a good morning exercise for a research scientist to discard a pet hypothesis every day before breakfast. It keeps him young.”
—Konrad Lorenz (1903–1989)
“The research on gender and morality shows that women and men looked at the world through very different moral frameworks. Men tend to think in terms of “justice” or absolute “right and wrong,” while women define morality through the filter of how relationships will be affected. Given these basic differences, why would men and women suddenly agree about disciplining children?”
—Ron Taffel (20th century)