The "Institute for Scientific Research" that did that study is a big pork-barrel project with exactly zero reputation for quality. I would bet that if you dig,

The "Institute for Scientific Research" that did that study is a big pork-barrel project with exactly zero reputation for quality. I would bet that if you dig, the only reason NASA was associated to the research you link was congresional earmark requiring it. See http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/08/washington/08earmarks.html http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/08/washington/08earmarks.html [Edit: dug a little more] "Examples of such earmarking, which have prevented NASA from allocating funding to programs that it considered to be most critical, include $15.5 million for the Institute for Scientific Research, in Fairmont, West Virginia" Source: http://caib1.nasa.gov/events/public_hearings/20030514/transcript.html http://caib1.nasa.gov/events/public_hearings/20030514/transc...