My years of science training are busting to make sense of this. I wish I had the resources to set up a chain testing laboratory. This way we could set up properly controlled experiments and establish some solid facts. The variables are interesting to consider, and would include at least the following:
Chain construction & materials (8,9,10 speed, plated parts etc.)
Lubricants, various, operated in clean dry conditions.
Lubricants, various, operated in simulated wet and or dirty conditions.
One could establish the time taken for a certain level of wear to occur in each test. The results could be presented as a paper to a peer-reviewed journal e.g.
Advances in Applied Mechanics - and referenced here every time the "lube" question is asked.
But that would take all the fun out of it
Ed