There are indeed studies whose scientific relevance can be arguably disputed. Researchers have already discovered how best to break spaghetti before cooking or how to tip over Galapagos giant tortoises.

The weirdest and most bizarre studies are even awarded a prize each year, the Ig Nobel Prize. This year's Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, otherwise known for serious research, received a medical study. The theme: how roller coaster driving can help to dissolve kidney stones.

A hot candidate for the coming year is undoubtedly a new survey of researchers to the popular series "Game of Thrones". Scientists have studied how to slaughter and assassinate the fantasy story known for their brutality. 330 characters from the first seven seasons were scrutinized.

"Game of Thrones", briefly explained

Season finale "Game of Thrones", briefly explained

Not surprisingly, after the study, men of low status have particularly poor chances of survival. In addition, prominent characters have a high death toll, according to lead author Reidar Lystad of the Australian Institute for Health Innovation, Macquarie University in Sydney. The work was published in "Injury Epidemiology", a specialist journal on injuries.

People who never change their alliances, therefore, also have an increased risk of film death. "By the end of season seven, more than half of the characters have died - 186 out of 330," Lystad said. The most common cause of death is by far violence. The shortest survival time on the screens was eleven seconds.

Also fire-breathing dragons and an ice-cold zombie army mix in the series world, which is ajar against the Middle Ages. Several tribes of families fight for the "Iron Throne" of the continent of Westeros - a dangerous place. There 80 percent of all deaths take place, as the evaluation of the experts further revealed.

photo gallery


9 pictures

Farewell to "GoT": Maisie Williams talks about last scene

The researchers also meticulously listed the causes of death: Nearly 74 percent died of their injuries, especially in the head and neck - including 13 beheadings.

And how many characters died of natural causes? Just two: the wrinkled Maester Aemon and the old Nan due to senility.

The study could perhaps help to find out who will probably prevail in the eighth and final season, hopes Lystad. The US television station HBO shows the final season from next April. Usually, the new episodes can also be seen in Germany immediately after the US launch.

Finally, it is the US magazine "Entertainment Weekly" According to the biggest battle in television history. The fight against an army of undead was filmed for weeks in Belfast, Northern Ireland. This looks like a lot of work for a new study.

The global hype surrounding the saga can certainly be explained from the perspective of science. "The sticking point is an inner tension between hard-hitting realism and fantasy," said culture theory professor Jan Söffner from Zeppelin University in Friedrichshafen on Lake Constance. In contrast to conventional fantasy, "Game of Thrones" is actually always different than you think.