The Darwin Awards, named after Charles Darwin, recognize individuals who have positively contributed to human evolution by accidentally removing themselves from the process of natural selection through their own actions. (Photo credit:  Julia Margaret Cameron, via Wikimedia Commons).

The Darwin Awards, named after Charles Darwin, recognize individuals who have positively contributed to human evolution by accidentally removing themselves from the process of natural selection through their own actions. (Photo credit: Julia Margaret Cameron, via Wikimedia Commons).

A group of scientists have reviewed the data and the answer is in, men are more likely to be more idiotic than women.

The authors reviewed 20 years of the Darwin Awards – which tell the ridiculous stories of how people accidentally kill themselves – and found that men made up 88.7 per cent of the winners. However the authors do remind readers that it is possible women nominate others more than men do, causing the gender imbalance.

Original research paper published in the British Medical Journal – Christmas issue on December 11, 2014.

Names and affiliations of selected authors

Ben Alexander Daniel Lendrem, The King Edward VI School, United Kingdom

Dennis William Lendrem, Newcastle University, United Kingdom

Andy Gray, Royal Victoria Infirmary, United Kindom

John Dudley Isaacs, Newcastle University, United Kingdom