Thanks to Alex Hutton for pointing out a great article in the Atlantic. It is about medical research, but it transcends that topic and really applies to many areas of research and study. The article is called Lies, Damned Lies, and Medical Science and leads with:
“Much of what medical researchers conclude in their studies is misleading, exaggerated, or flat-out wrong. So why are doctors—to a striking extent—still drawing upon misinformation in their everyday practice? Dr. John Ioannidis has spent his career challenging his peers by exposing their bad science.”
My favorite quote from the article may be:
“Maybe sometimes it’s the questions that are biased, not the answers”
That is very close in intent to something I often say, which is “if you want to know how the illusion works, do not look where the magician points”.
It is an interesting and (hopefully) thought provoking article.
Jack
