The Shortest Scientific Paper Ever Published Had Zero Words

What does a scientific paper documenting a failed attempt to overcome writer's block look like? In 1974, psychologist Dennis Upper decided the most accurate representation would be a completely blank page. He submitted a manuscript to the *Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis* under the title "The Unsuccessful Self-Treatment of a Case of Writer's Block." The body of the paper was entirely empty, a clever and literal demonstration of the very problem it was meant to document. The medium was the message: the lack of content was, in fact, the entire result of the experiment.

The genius of the submission was matched only by the peer-review process that followed. A colleague sent the manuscript for review returned an equally witty and concise commentary. The reviewer’s note stated, "I have studied this manuscript with great care with my students and we have no criticism of this paper. I really have nothing to add." Recognizing the brilliance of the meta-joke, the journal's editor published both the blank paper and the reviewer's note.

While humorous, the paper stands as a perfect, if unconventional, piece of behavioral science. It presents its data—the complete absence of the target behavior (writing)—in its purest possible form. The paper has since become a legendary example of academic wit, demonstrating that even within the formal structures of scientific publishing, there is room for profound creativity and a knowing laugh.