Great: more buzzwords for politicians to throw about and misapply when they’re trying to defend their big donors, or their tribal politics.
Just the facts, people. Just the facts…
Maggie, you’re striking at the very heart of information illiteracy–keep fighting the good fight!
A tough, leathery heart, whose wounds heal as fast as they are struck.
The scientifically illiterate I’ve known don’t get as far as the P-test. They’re still stuck at 1) conservation of energy (you don’t get something for nothing), and 2) accepting that physical reality does not depend on what we want it to be.
These aren’t really rules. What makes judging whether cool news is true difficult is that there are no actual rules. These are more like guidelines.
Insert pirate code joke here.
But yes. You’re right.
TL; DR
Hey did you read on the Daily Mail how scientists have finally determined what objectively makes the best burrito?
Too bad eating that burrito both causes and prevents cancer.
Damn Schrodinger’s Burrito.
I already know what makes the best burrito: Me.
This list leaves out the first step, though that is understandable because it’s not really about “cool news”. The first step is reading the paper, or at least the abstract. Then you can start judging the logical connection between the evidence and the conclusions. But if you just read a news article, often enough they don’t describe the research accurately.
One good rule guideline:
If it seems too good to be true, it usually is.
Like the Big Bang hypothesis? ; )
Clear example of bias.
I would love to share this … if I thought it would do any good. I’m so tired of people telling me that drinking diet sodas is going to give me MS and/or brain tumors. I have a lot more trouble with people sharing “science” stories with me that aren’t even real than I do with people simply sharing science stories they don’t understand.
I just saw that this week! I am so tired of correcting people when they repost these crazy stories that I do not even bother even more.
I could make more burritos and increase my sample-set?
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