Mark Frauenfelder via Boing Boing:

‘In 1986, the New Republic held a reader competition to submit the most boring headline ever. The idea for the contest was inspired by a New York Times column from April of that year, headlined, “Worthwhile Canadian Initiative.” The New Republic said of the headline, “Each word taken alone is sleep-inducing. Taken together, they are virtually lethal.”

According to Futility Closet, readers submitted the following headlines taken from actual publications:

“U.S. Leadership Needed” (New York Times)

“Trade, A Two-Way Street” (New York Times)

“Beyond the News, Larger Issues” (New York Times)

“Thoughts at Graduation Time” (New York Times)

“Continue Manned Flight in Space” (New York Times)

“Chill Falls on Warming Relations Between Australia and Indonesia” (New York Times)

“University of Rochester Decides to Keep Name” (New York Times)

“Dramatic Changes Fail to Materialize on Hill” (Washington Post)

“Surprises Unlikely in Indiana” (Chicago Tribune)

“CIA Analysis Sees Soviet Economy in Need of Changes” (San Diego Union)

“Prevent Burglary by Locking House, Detectives Urge” (Boston Globe)

“Methodists Oppose Use of Nuclear Arms” (New York Times)

“Economist Dies” (Wisconsin State Journal)

“Turbulent Days for Donald D. Engen” (New York Times)

The winner, as judged by the New Republic, was a New York Times science article headlined, “Debate goes on over the nature of reality.”…’