Let's also not forget that it is the conservative politicreatures who so often say "There is no science..." to try to stop obviously beneficial (except to corporate profits) legislation (to try to control global warming, polution, wilderness destruction, etc.) from being passed. Therefore, even obvious stuff now has to be "scientifically proven". "...it probably took a big government grant to figure something like this out." As you note, these silly studies may not have been at taxpayer expense.