To prove that factor a has no effect whatever on outcome b may be important in the sense that it refutes a hypothesis.

证明因素 a 对结果 b 没有任何影响可能是重要的，因为它驳斥了一个假设。

But the new study shows the opposite effect: whatever the programming, the ultimate outcome of television noise is to inhibit verbal exchanges.

但新的研究表明这具有相反的效果：无论节目是什么，最终结果是电视的噪音抑制了口头交流。

Prior knowledge frequently has no effect on the actual outcome of the event – we’ll get the same grade regardless – and yet we still desperately want to know.

先验知识常常对事情实际结果没有影响——我们还是会得到同样的成绩——然而我们还是极度想知道。