Search Results for: science research

The promotion of weak statistical relationships in science

Image credit: Correlation, Causation, and Their Impact on AB Testing Correlation is never evidence for causation – but, unfortunately, many scientific articles imply that it is. While paying lip service to the correlation-causation mantra, some (possibly many) authors end up arguing … Continue reading

Can we trust science?

Image credit: Museum collections as research data Studies based simply on statistically significant relationships found by mining data from large databases are a big problem in the scientific literature. Problematic because data mining, or worse data dredging, easily produces relationships … Continue reading

I don’t “believe” in science – and neither should you

I cringe every time I read an advocate of science asserting they “believe in science.” Yes, I know they may be responding to an assertion made by supporters of religion or pseudoscience. But “belief” is the wrong word because it … Continue reading

Science is often wrong – be critical

Uncritical use of science to support a preconceived position is widespread – and it really gets up my nose. I have no respect for the person, often an activist, who uncritically cites a scientific report. Often they will cite a … Continue reading

When scientists get political: Lead fluoride-IQ researcher launches emotional attack on her scientific critics

It seems impossible to keep politics out of science. It’s a pity because politics can end up forcing science to produce the results desired by politicians. When this happens the ideal aim of science – the pursuit of objective knowledge … Continue reading

Fluoridation science and political advocacy – who is fooling who?

It is a false balance to equate the advocacy of scientific and medical experts concerned with truth and child health to the advocacy of ideologically-motivated anti-fluoride and anti-vaccination activists known for their misrepresentation of science. Credit: World Congress for freedom … Continue reading

Some fluoride-IQ researchers seem to be taking in each other’s laundry

Scientific peer-review is often touted as a guarantee of the quality of published research. But how good is peer-review? Does it guarantee poor science is weeded out? Or is it sometimes simply a bureaucratic manipulation aimed at endorsing a paper … Continue reading

Experts complain to funding body about quality of fluoride-IQ research

Science should never be protected from critical and rational discussion. Funding bodies should also be aware of problems in the research they fund. Image credit: The value of experience in criticizing research. The scientific community was generally critical of the … Continue reading

Politics of science – making a silk purse out of a sow’s ear

Anti-fluoride activists have some wealthy backers – they are erecting billboards misrepresenting the Canadian study on many New Zealand cities – and local authorities are ordering their removal because of their scaremongering. Many New Zealanders are concerned at the scaremongering by … Continue reading

Fluoridation: “debating” the science?

How the anti-fluoride activist envisages their debate challenge – their hero standing up against the might of the health authorities. Image credit: From the Coliseum to the Cage New Zealand last week saw another “debate challenge” from anti-fluoride activists. But are … Continue reading