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Science, bad science and the creation of beliefs + HUGE ALIENS

  • 14-09-2011 8:59pm
    #1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 12,455 ✭✭✭✭


    I came across what I think is a very good video which may be of interest to people here. It deals mostly with the problems with scientific papers in the area of health, but I think it has general interest too as it touches on several issues that come up here from time to time.

    Firstly, at the start, there's a brief exploration of how we come to believe things and how it's very easy to come to incorrect beliefs by making connections where none exists. I think this is something that we commonly see from those who tend to believe most CTs. There is also mention of how we interpret new information and create new beliefs based on it if it agrees with those things that we believe already - so if you believe in a certain CT, you will create a new belief based on some new information where someone who does not believe in that CT and sees the same new information does not.

    It then moves into a discussion about the flaws that are common in medical studies, another topic that comes up here frequently, and how some scientists are inclined to bend their studies to reach the conclusions they are looking for, and how journalists make a balls of interpreting and reporting these studies.

    Something for everyone interested in the CT domain, I hope.



    (by the way, I added the 'HUGE ALIENS' to the title after the post sat there and nobody looked at it for an hour :( :pac:)


Comments

  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,006 ✭✭✭Daithi 1


    Did somebody say "Huge aliens ?" :eek:


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,609 ✭✭✭stoneill


    Interesting video.
    I noticed that he did not mention that studies by vested interests generally get the results that are looking for - the studies are designed specifically to generate the outcome that is desired. I wonder if that omission was by choice.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 12,455 ✭✭✭✭Monty Burnz


    stoneill wrote: »
    Interesting video.
    I noticed that he did not mention that studies by vested interests generally get the results that are looking for - the studies are designed specifically to generate the outcome that is desired. I wonder if that omission was by choice.
    I think it was clearly implied. He mentioned for example a study arguing that high levels of dietary carbs was acceptable, paid for by Kellogs (perhaps as a joking example, but the message was clear).


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