The difference between a great title and one that gets you ignored? In this case, six words – or one conditional phrase. Here is the title of the PLoS One article by Pain et al.:

Potential Hazard to Human Health from Exposure to Fragments of Lead Bullets and Shot

And here is the full title:

Potential Hazard to Human Health from Exposure to Fragments of Lead Bullets and Shot in the Tissues of Game Animals

Funnily enough, neither version is inaccurate, although the first is, at the same time, more sensational and more DUH. Because, as we learn from the conclusions, bullets are always dangerous.

The potential health hazard from lead ingested in the meat of game animals may be larger than previous risk assessments indicated, especially for vulnerable groups, such as children, and those consuming large amounts of game.

Insert Dick Cheney joke. Come on. You know you want to beat the dead horse.

Pain, Deborah J., Ruth L. Cromie, Julia Newth, Martin J. Brown, Eric Crutcher, Pippa Hardman, Louise Hurst, et al. 2010. Potential Hazard to Human Health from Exposure to Fragments of Lead Bullets and Shot in the Tissues of Game Animals. Ed. Andrew Iwaniuk. PLoS ONE 5, no. 4 (4): e10315. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0010315.