Darya Sinusoid

Darya’s love for reading started with fantasy novels (The LOTR trilogy is still her all-time-favorite). Growing up, however, she found herself transitioning to non-fiction, psychological, and self-help books. She has a degree in Psychology and a deep passion for the subject. She likes reading research-informed books that distill the workings of the human brain/mind/consciousness and thinking of ways to apply the insights to her own life. Some of her favorites include Thinking, Fast and Slow, How We Decide, and The Wisdom of the Enneagram.

The Obesity Code: Book Overview (Jason Fung)

What is Jason Fung’s The Obesity Code about? What is the key message to take away from the book? In his book The Obesity Code, Jason Fung argues that for decades, we’ve misunderstood obesity and, as a result, have consistently failed in our efforts to curb its spread. Fung presents a new theory, arguing that obesity is a hormonal problem that causes overeating and weight gain, rather than a problem of willpower or self-control. Below is a brief overview of The Obesity Code: Unlocking the Secrets of Weight Loss by Jason Fung.

Misleading Statistics: Lying With Numbers

How do people mislead with statistics? What are some real-world examples of misleading statistics? Anyone with the will and a capable computer program can perform statistical analyses. This accessibility combined with the ease and speed of information sharing in our technology-oriented culture makes it easy for misleading statistics to make their way into our lives and inform our opinions or decisions. Keep reading to find out how you can avoid falling into the trap of misleading statistics.

Publication Bias in Research: Negative Findings

The 25 Cognitive Biases: The Lollapalooza Effect

What is publication bias in research? Why do researchers choose not to report negative findings? Publication bias occurs when the outcome of a research project influences the decision to publish it. Researchers and publishers may be more inclined to share positive research findings because they make for more attention-grabbing headlines. Here’s how publication bias can lead to inflated confidence in research findings.

Untangling Amyloid: Alzheimer’s Disease Hallmark?

How are amyloid plaques implicated in Alzheimer’s disease? How does amyloid build-up contribute to cognitive decline? An abundance of amyloid plaque in a person’s brain is a hallmark of Alzheimer’s, but not all amyloid plagues are created equal. Recent research suggests that some types of amyloid plagues are actually benign and even protective. Here’s what we know about the role of amyloid plaques in Alzheimer’s disease.

5 Myths About Obesity: Debunked by Science

What is the main cause of obesity? Is obesity a disease or simply a result of eating an excess amount of calories? According to Jason Fung, the “calories in, calories out” theory fails to capture the full picture of obesity. Excess calories play a part, but they aren’t the root cause of obesity. More specifically, this theory fails to appreciate that obesity is a hormonal disease, rather than a problem of willpower or bad eating habits. In his book Obesity Code, Fung lays out five mistaken premises that hamper the current model of obesity. Here are five myths about obesity

The Limitations of Regression Analysis in Stats

What are the uses and limitations of regression analysis in statistics? What are some things you should keep in mind when reporting the results of regression analysis? Regression analysis is a powerful research tool as it allows researchers to isolate variables of interest. However, regression analysis can be dangerous if its results are misinterpreted or misreported. Here are a few pointers to keep in mind when interpreting regression analysis results.

Standard Deviation: Explained in Simple Terms

What is the standard deviation in statistics? What can the standard deviation tell about a data set? The standard deviation is descriptive statistics that measures the degree of dispersion in a given data set. More specifically, standard deviation tells us how far each value is from the mean. Here’s what we can glean from the standard deviation, explained in simple terms.

The Key Causes of Age-Related Cognitive Impairment

What are the main factors implicated in age-related cognitive impairment? What are some things you can start doing today to slow down the rate of your cognitive decline? In the last few decades, medical scientists and researchers have discovered a lot about cognitive decline, dementia, and Alzheimer’s, and their research suggests it’s probably due to many factors that differ for every person. If we want to take care of our brains and take measures to prevent them from declining, it will be helpful to know the suspected factors that lead to cognitive decline. Keep reading to learn about the main

Is Obesity a Choice or a Disease? Doctor Explains

Why shouldn’t we blame obese patients for being dangerously overweight? Is obesity a choice or a disease? To answer this question, we must first understand the root cause of obesity. If obesity is caused solely by eating too much, then we could indeed attribute it to personal choice. However, the prevailing view of obesity as a problem of uncontrolled eating is simplistic and limited. Ultimately, obesity is a hormonal disorder. Here’s why obesity is a disease rather than a problem of self-control.

Understanding the Limitations of Descriptive Statistics

What is descriptive analysis? How do descriptive statistics help us make sense of data? What is the main pitfall of descriptive statistics as a research tool? Descriptive statistics take information in a data set and condense it into a meaningful figure like an average or percentile. Descriptive statistics help us summarize and describe data, characterize relationships, and make predictions. While descriptive statistics can help us make sense of data, they should be used with caution: Descriptive statistics tell us what happened, but they don’t necessarily tell us why. Keep reading to learn about the limitations of descriptive statistics.