'Man Flu' and Giant Wine Glasses: The BMJ's Christmas Issue

Poor fella. (Credit: Dmitry A/Shutterstock) Scientists aren’t always considered to be the most festive group of people. But The British Medical Journal does its part to celebrate the spirit of the holidays with its annual Christmas issue. Once a year, the journal opens submissions for studies with a slightly lighter tone, but just as much science. The key to inclusion in the Christmas issue is originality and clever ideas — not bad science. “While we welcome light-hearted fare and satire, we do not publish spoofs, hoaxes, or fabricated studies,” their website states. This year’s group of research subjects certainly did not disappoint, with studies on everything from “man flu” to deadly full moons.”