Do both sides of an argument warrant the same amount of consideration? What’s the difference between correlation and causation? You’ve probably experienced this: You hear something that sounds great. But, when you think it through, it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. A fallacy could be to blame. The more you know about fallacies, the better you’ll be able to evaluate information and arguments. Continue reading for a brief overview of three different types of fallacies.
Informed Decision-Making in Healthcare: How to Assess Outcomes
When you’re making medical decisions, what do you consider? How do you evaluate your options? Medical decisions are some of the most important decisions you make. Neuroscientist Daniel J. Levitin argues that you shouldn’t try to intuit such decisions because your brain just isn’t good at it. He recommends using a fourfold table to analyze the information you’re working with. Continue reading to learn how to use this process for informed decision-making in healthcare.
Bjorn Lomborg’s Climate Change Methods & Measures
What’s the best way to measure climate change and its impact? What does temperature have to do with wealth? According to progressive media and politicians, climate change constitutes an existential threat to humanity, requiring drastic cuts in carbon dioxide emissions to avoid catastrophe. According to Bjorn Lomborg, climate change poses a significant threat, but it’s not cataclysmic. Keep reading to understand the methods and measures Lomborg uses in his analysis.
Does Global Warming Cause Extreme Weather? Some Say “No”
Does global warming cause extreme weather? Are floods, droughts, fires, and hurricanes worse than ever? If so, what’s the cause? Bjorn Lomborg writes that climate alarmists all echo the same sentiment: Climate change leads to more extreme weather. Opposing this view, he argues that climate change has had relatively little impact on extreme weather. Keep reading to understand how Lomborg arrives at this conclusion.
Cherry-Picking Data in Healthcare: The Unethical Practice
What does cherry-picking data mean? Why do many companies in healthcare do this? There are some drug and healthcare companies that cherry-pick results, referencing the positive and ignoring the negative. In Bad Science, Ben Goldacre expresses how this is an unethical practice. Let’s look at why cherry-picking data isn’t advised.
How Scientists Can Avoid Selection Bias in Research
What is selection bias in research? How does it affect scientific findings? Selection bias is when researchers sort participants into different groups to get their desired result. According to Ben Goldacre in Bad Science, this unethical tactic can cause a systematic error that could’ve been avoided with randomization. Let’s look at why selection bias in research is a growing issue.
What Are Scientific Controls? (Definition & Purpose)
What are scientific controls? Why are they instrumental in experiments? In Bad Science, Ben Goldacre explains that scientific studies are designed to test one treatment at a time, without any influence from other factors. To do this, good researchers make use of scientific controls. Let’s go into more detail on a scientific control’s role in studies.
The 3 Forms of Data Manipulation in Research
What is data manipulation in research? What are methods of data manipulation you should avoid? Unfortunately, some researchers manipulate data to fit their hypothesis. In Bad Science, Ben Goldacre discusses the ethics of altering data in an unprofessional way. Check out how to spot data manipulation in research.
Case Evidence vs. Representative Evidence-Based Decision-Making
Are you the type of person who makes decisions based on cold facts and evidence? What are some things you should consider when it comes to evidence-based decision-making? Considering evidence when making a decision is important, especially when it comes to high-stakes decisions. However, not all evidence is created equal. Never base your decisions on single-case evidence. Instead, base your decisions on representative evidence: evidence that reflects a large sample of cases. Here’s why you shouldn’t rely on case evidence when making decisions.
Logical Decision-Making: Why Are We So Bad at It?
Why do we make decisions that contradict basic logic? What are some examples of illogical decision-making? One of the most common reasons we fail at logical decision-making is that we mistake correlation for causation. If two variables are correlated, it doesn’t mean one caused the other. In fact, causation is less likely. Here’s how mistaking correlation for causation results in misguided, irrational decisions.