Proof that stupidity is a man's best end

Named after Charles Darwin, who postulated the survival of the fittest, it recognises those who have inadvertently improved the gene pool by eliminating themselves from the human race by astonishingly stupid methods. Photo / Thinkstock

It's enough to start a new battle of the sexes, but when it comes to needless and untimely deaths, men win hands down.

A 20-year study of the Darwin Awards, an annual review of the most foolish way people have died, found almost 90 per cent were "won" by males.

Named after Charles Darwin, who postulated the survival of the fittest, it recognises those who have inadvertently improved the gene pool by eliminating themselves from the human race by astonishingly stupid methods.

Worthy candidates have included a man stealing a ride home by hitching a shopping trolley to the back of a train, only to be dragged 3km to his death before it was able to stop, and the terrorist who unthinkingly opened his own letter bomb on its return after he posted it with insufficient stamps.

Other examples include the man who shot himself in the head with a "spy pen" weapon to show his friend it was real, and the thief attempting to purloin a steel hawser from a lift shaft - and unbolted it while standing in the lift which then plummeted to the ground, killing him.

Of 332 independently verified nominations 14 were ruled out of the analysis because they were shared by male and females - usually overly adventurous couples in compromising positions.

Of the 318 valid cases remaining, 282 (88.7 per cent) were awarded to males and just 36 to females.

Writing in the Christmas edition of the British Medical Journal, the researchers say it is puzzling that men are willing to take such unnecessary risks - simply as a rite of passage, in pursuit of male social esteem or solely in exchange for "bragging rights".

Although sex differences in risk-seeking behaviour are well documented, little is known about the gender gap in idiotic risk-taking behaviour, so the researchers reviewed data on the Darwin Awards between 1995 and 2014, noting the sex of the winner.

Dr Dennis Lendrem, of the University of Newcastle, said: "Idiotic risks are defined as senseless risks, where the apparent payoff is negligible or non-existent, and the outcome is often extremely negative and often final.

"According to 'male idiot theory' (MIT) many of the differences in risk-seeking behaviour, emergency department admissions, and mortality may be explained by the observation that men are idiots and idiots do stupid things.

"There are anecdotal data supporting MIT, but to date there has been no systematic analysis of sex differences in idiotic risk taking behaviour."

He said an honourable mention goes to the man who slipped when using a belt sander as an auto erotic device and lost a testicle. Repairing his scrotum with a staple gun, he was able to salvage his remaining testicle thus failing to eliminate himself completely from the gene pool, so he was eliminated from the analysis.

The researchers admitted the study has limitations because women may be more likely to nominate men for a Darwin Award, or the sex difference may reflect differences in alcohol use between men and women.

But Lendrem said: "Despite these limitations there can be little doubt Darwin Award winners seem to make little or no real assessment of the risk or attempt at risk management. They just do it anyway. In some cases, the intelligence of the award winner may be questioned."

The researchers believe male idiot theory deserves further investigation, and, "with the festive season upon us, we intend to follow up with observational field studies and an experimental study - males and females, with and without alcohol - in a semi-naturalistic Christmas party setting".