Every so often, you hear about a study whose results are so obvious, you just have to smack yourself in the head and wonder how the researchers were able to ask for funding with a straight face.

Today, Miller-McCune.com published the results of one such study, conducted by two researchers at Indiana University. The researchers found that men, when they watch a newscast with an attractive, provocatively-dressed female anchor, are more likely to remember the image of the person reading the news than the news the person was reading.

Well, of course they are.

That's what the networks count on.

The study was done in a controlled fashion, where men watched the same 24-year-old anchor read the news in a newscast produced by the researchers. In one newscast, the anchor "was dressed in a tight-fitting dark blue jacket and skirt that accented her waist-to-hip ratio," and she wore red lipstick and a necklace, said the study. In the other, the same woman was dressed in a "shapeless and loose-fitting" jacket and skirt. The participants were given a quiz about the stories on the newscast and questions about the anchor's appearance.

Amazingly, the men in the study who watched the provocatively-dressed version of the anchor retained less information than the men who watched the relatively frumpy version. The results were reversed in women, but the difference wasn't the same degree that it was in men.

So, what's the conclusion that can be drawn from this study? Well, at least this tells us once and for all that the news networks don't really care that much if you learn anything from the information they give on the air. They just want people to tune in. Just like on any other network, ratings are king. There's a reason why there's a seeming army of "Fox News Blondes" wearing somewhat shorter skirts than your average anchor. Sure, Megyn Kelly and Gretchen Carlson are both smart, talented journalists. But it doesn't hurt that they're also both easy on the eyes, at least as far as Roger Ailes and Rupert Murdoch are concerned.

Do news directors pick men the same way? Yes, though it's not as obvious. As talented as Brian Williams is, his looks might have a little bit to do with his rocket ride from local New York reporter to 'Nightly News' anchor. Peter Jennings was a great reporter, but he also had that look of raconteur foreign correspondent that made ABC promote him from reporter to co-anchor to anchor of 'World News Tonight' in rapid fashion back in the day.

But the biggest conclusion I get from this study is that universities will throw money at anyone with an idea and a scientific procedure, no matter how predictable the results might be. With that in mind, I'm going to see if I can get funding for the following:

-- A study to examine whether people prefer pizza or Brussels sprouts.

-- A study to see if men drive faster in a Ferrari or a Ford Focus.

-- A study to find out what happens to rain when the temperature dips below 32 degrees.

-- A study to find out who is funnier: Louis C.K. or Carrot Top.

(Follow @joelkeller on Twitter and at www.facebook.com/joelkeller.)