Scientists hid Bob Dylan lyrics in research papers for 17 years — all over a secret bet

The internet is filled with crazy fan stories, where people go above and beyond to show their love for their favorite celebrities. But what if someone breaks this threshold of craziness by dedicating their projects and years of research to someone they never met? Doing exactly that, a group of scientists from Sweden placed bets on who among them would sneak legendary American singer Bob Dylan titles into their research papers, per The Guardian. Their admiration for the best-selling musician turned into a contest-cum-bet, where they went on to include famous songs like “Blowin’ in the Wind,” “Blood on the Tracks,” “Simple Twist of Fate” and many more in their findings.

It all began with a 1997 publication in the scientific journal "Nature" by two Swedish scientists, Jon Lundberg and Eddie Weitzberg, according to the outlet. Their research paper, titled "Nitric Oxide and Inflammation: The Answer Is Blowing in the Wind," was inspired by Dylan’s 1962 release, which poses a series of rhetorical questions about peace, war and freedom, as suggested in research by Murray State University. “We both really like Bob Dylan, so when we set about writing an article concerning the measurement of nitric oxide gas in both the respiratory tracts and the intestine...the title came up, and it fit there perfectly,” The Guardian quoted Weitzberg as explaining.

After this, there was no going back for the scientists working at Stockholm’s Karolinska Institute. Several years later, a librarian revealed how two more researchers adopted this bizarre idea and used a different Dylan reference in a paper about the ability of non-neural cells to generate neurons. "Blood on the Tracks: A Simple Twist of Fate?" was published by Jonas Frisén and Konstantinos Meletis in 2003. Instead of inserting one title, this time around, the researchers relied on the American singer’s two hit numbers—"Blood on the Tracks" and "Simple Twist of Fate." Very soon, they all came to the conclusion that whoever posted the maximum number of titles or lyrics from Dylan would be the winner of the bet.

"The one who has written the most articles with Dylan quotes before going into retirement wins a lunch at the [local] restaurant Jöns Jacob,” Lundberg told a Sweden-based outlet, The Local. As the buzz echoed through the institute in the Swedish capital, one more scientist reportedly joined the bandwagon as the fifth and final competitor. A professor of cardiovascular research, Kenneth Chien, was quick to put out a research paper inspired by Dylan’s lyrics. In order to win the bet, he had already titled his work "Tangled Up in Blue: Molecular Cardiology in the Postmolecular Era" and published it in 1998.

The competition between Lundberg, Weitzberg, Frisén, Meletis, and Chien was described as the longest-running bet. As per The Guardian, the scientists kept up with their unique methods to honor their idol for over 17 years. To win the bet, they had to meet the criteria of using the most Bob Dylan references before retirement. The winner would get a free lunch at a restaurant in Solna, the town in Stockholm where the institute is based. According to Lundberg, that would be, specifically, the Jöns Jacob restaurant. American Songwriter’s latest report highlighted that there were no updates on who won the contest.