FROM the department of too good not to share: a new paper from the University of Helsinki puts forward a novel theory of expansion with linguistic precision and flair:

It is argued here that the average size (the erect length, to be precise) of male organ in population has a strong predictive power of economic development during the period [1960-1985]. The exact causality can only be speculated at this point but the correlations are robust.

The relationship with GDP was apparently U-shaped in 1985. The GDP-maximising length was 13.5 centimetres, but performance declined at lengths exceeding 16 centimetres. It's hard to say why. The author, one Tatu Westling, points out that male organ size is more strongly associated with economic growth than a country's political regime type, before suggesting that heightened self-esteem may be responsible. He concludes:

Taken at face value the findings suggest that the 'male organ hypothesis' put forward here is quite penetrating an argument. Yet for the best of author's knowledge, male organ has not been touched in the growth literature before.

Points to Mr Westling for delicacy. If nothing else, he's found a good way to enhance his profile. Given the attention he's brought to his university, he'll soon be asking for a bigger staff.