Wash Away Your Sin Soap

These may not be such a joke item after all. At least not according to THIS Science article that talks about a study into the intrinsic connection between cleanliness and morality. It's got an interesting concept and really interesting results. Apparently, after telling a story about an unethical act they committed, half of the subjects were allowed to wipe their hands with an antiseptic wipe, the other half didn't. They were then asked to volunteer to help out a desperate grad student (aren't we all desperate, though?). 74% of those who didn't get to wipe their hands volunteered, but only 41% of those who did wipe their hands volunteered.

So I guess the moral of this story for us desperate grad students is to hope that the funding agencies hire people with less than desirable hygiene skills.

Thanks to the blog Not Exactly Rocket Science.