Misrepresentation of Science

[Praxis101]

I have to write a psych paper (go figure) on some kind of misrepresentation of science (in the media or advertising, for examples).

One example is that ab-belt device that you strap on, and it vibrates supposedly building muscle. But the paper can be on any form of bad, misleading, or other misuse of the scientific method.

Anyone have any namely ideas?

I need some kind of article as a reference...

[evank15]

The difference between scientific theories and non-scientific theories.

Ignorant theists screw this one up all the time. "ID is just like evolution, a theory, therefore they should both (or neither) be taught in our schools".

[bunny]

It often upsets scientific people but you could talk about SETI as an example of pseudoscience.

EDIT: I remember reading a book with a chapter on this, which is at home. I'll post a reference later if you would like.

[FortunaMaximus]

Gerontology and con artists and legitimate vitamin shops using dubious "data" to milk a bit out of the pensions of the retired who want to live longer and healthier, perhaps?

Eat a bowl of alafafa with cod liver oil dressing daily and stave off Alzheimer's, and that sorta stuff.

There's no doubt Eastern apothecaries know what they're doing as well as some Western medical practitioners, but, this is so grossly misinterpreted here.

[Praxis101]

[ QUOTE ]
The difference between scientific theories and non-scientific theories.

Ignorant theists screw this one up all the time. "ID is just like evolution, a theory, therefore they should both (or neither) be taught in our schools".

[/ QUOTE ]

I like this - I was actually looking for a way to discuss evolution in this manner.

I think a site like this (http://www.intelligentdesignnetwork.org/) would be perfect. I'll discuss the nature of scientific theories, the application of the scientific method, and the lacking of a means for testing ID... sound about right? /images/graemlins/cool.gif

[Metric]

Depends on your personality, but if you want to do something controversial and potentially start arguments, you could talk about how superstring theory is sold to the public, and use the new book "The Trouble With Physics" by Lee Smolin as a reference.

[BluffTHIS!]

http://mypetjawa.mu.nu/archives/enzyte_bob.jpg

[Darryl_P]

My favorite one is about all the studies that prove something causes cancer, makes you lose weight, etc.

Usually they examine a phenomenon, and if it produces a result that is beyond the 95th percentile of possible results, then they claim they have shown something significant.

Thing is, if there are 20 simultaneous studies going on examining similar phenomena, then you would EXPECT there to be one which shows something significant is happening even if it's all random.

The failure of the media to take into consideration the big picture, ie. the total number of studies being done on something similar, and describing the findings using that backdrop, is one of the biggest scientific errors (deliberate IMO) widely overlooked in modern times.

[daryn]

HEAD ON

APPLY DIRECTLY TO THE FOREHEAD

seriously, homeopathy.

[NotReady]

[ QUOTE ]

Anyone have any namely ideas?


[/ QUOTE ]

I wasn't going to say anything but since someone just had to mention ID I might as well add:

Evolution by chance.

One common ancestor as proven scientific fact.

The cosmos is all there is, was or will be. (Sagan)

[DougShrapnel]

NotReady

[madnak]

The media will sometimes make bold statements about research that is explicitly inconclusive. Often the AP will do this and everyone else will follow suit.

[wacki]

[ QUOTE ]

Anyone have any namely ideas?

I need some kind of article as a reference...

[/ QUOTE ]

This book is a pretty decent primer:

http://www.waronscience.com/home.php

It's a pretty good introduction to the misinformation campaign that is currently going on. The paperback version includes updates. But I'm not sure I'd recommend it to people that don't believe in evolution and stuff in the first place. The book assumes you know the difference between fact and fiction.

Any of the guys on the left hand side of this chart will do:
http://www.logicalscience.com/skeptics/skeptics.htm


The list is endless. If you want to just stick to the media here is some serious flaws at the WSJ:

http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?chanID=sa006&articleID=000D5C47-C124-1509-805C83414B7FFDB0

or you can read any science related article at tech central station or the CATO institute. Or how CSM references comedians as experts on global warming. Or how Fox News industry shill Steven Milloy of Junkscience.com says CFC's are too heavy to float and they just sink to the ground.

heh the list is endless. Science in the media is a complete joke that often has nothing to do with reality.

[Magic_Man]

Anything from "tradional eastern medicine." Acupuncture would be a good start. Or homeopathy, although I don't think that's actually TEM. Either way they're both based on nonsense.

[Rduke55]

[ QUOTE ]
Anything from "tradional eastern medicine." Acupuncture would be a good start. Or homeopathy, although I don't think that's actually TEM. Either way they're both based on nonsense.

[/ QUOTE ]

I don't think you can lump acupuncture with other alternative techniques. Traditional explanations of how it works may be silly but the effect is there (depending on what you're treating with it of course).

[Borodog]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Anything from "tradional eastern medicine." Acupuncture would be a good start. Or homeopathy, although I don't think that's actually TEM. Either way they're both based on nonsense.

[/ QUOTE ]

I don't think you can lump acupuncture with other alternative techniques. Traditional explanations of how it works may be silly but the effect is there (depending on what you're treating with it of course).

[/ QUOTE ]

Rduke55,

Is it different from placebo? In other words, if you stick needles in the "right" places do you get statistically better results than sticking them in the "wrong" places?

[Rduke55]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Anything from "tradional eastern medicine." Acupuncture would be a good start. Or homeopathy, although I don't think that's actually TEM. Either way they're both based on nonsense.

[/ QUOTE ]

I don't think you can lump acupuncture with other alternative techniques. Traditional explanations of how it works may be silly but the effect is there (depending on what you're treating with it of course).

[/ QUOTE ]

Rduke55,

Is it different from placebo? In other words, if you stick needles in the "right" places do you get statistically better results than sticking them in the "wrong" places?

[/ QUOTE ]

They definitely take that into account. I think they call it "sham" acupuncture.
While there is a lot of crap acupuncture is supposed to be able to do that it definitely cannot, acupuncture's role in certain things like pain management, anti-nausea, blood flow, etc. have been supported.

For pain management it's thought that acupuncture works by two processes. the first is called gating. In this idea, it's not just activating the pain receptors that results in pain, it also involves the inhibitory pathways. These are typically nonnociceptive tactile paths.
Ever notice when you bang your head afainst a door or the like you immediately rub the injured area? That's because the tactile stimulation actually inhibits some of the pain message. That's gating.


The other is stimulating production of certain chemicals (such as endorphins) in the brain - which acupuncture has been suggested to (and supported in several studies) to do so.

The biggest support debunking the placebo idea is that some studies have done acupuncture in animals and found an analgesic affect. (that can be neutralized using anti-opioids)

[Borodog]

Cool. Thanks.

A buddy of mine had a rabbit who's inner ear was destroyed by a fungal infection. The poor thing would hop in circles with her head twisted almost upside down, and frequently roll over uncontrollably.

Their vet suggested acupuncture, and I was extremely skeptical. But damned if it didn't help. My question of course was whether or not following the acupuncture routine (holding the animal still for a long time, soothing, touching) but without the needles would have done the same thing. They said they tried that at home, and it had no effect.

Interesting stuff.

[Magic_Man]

My biggest problem with acupuncture is all the things it purports to accomplish. I buy that it might help with pain or stress relief, but it is also supposed to cure abscesses, ulcers, and a host of other ailments. The problems come when people actually buy all the nonsense about "balancing your qi", and decide to frequent their acupuncturist instead of going to see a "real" doctor who might find something serious like cancer. In one study, researchers visited several acupuncturists to complain of back pain or other ailments, and got different diagnoses from almost every single one. The examination and diagnosis process is notoriously unscientific, and putting too much faith in psuedoscientific claims can be dangerous to your health. For more, see http://www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/acu.html

~MagicMan

[madnak]

If I remember correctly, they've done a lot to control for things like that. Apparently the line happens basically around where they stick the needles. Random poking doesn't have the same effect as acupuncture, but somewhere between there and the precision of "official" acupuncture it's all the same.

I'm not sure they've yet isolated exactly which parts of acupuncture are specifically valid.

In terms of traditional healing, there's a lot of validity. People get snarky about it because there's a lot of crap, too. But keep in mind many of our scientific advancements basically came from this stuff - there's at least a kernel of truth in most of it.

[OnlinePokerCoach]

Try reading The Demon-Haunted World, by Carl Sagan, if you have the time. It is right on topic.

[Zeno]

Two other useful books: Bad Medicine by Christorpher Wanjek and Science - Good, Bad and Bogus by Martin Gardner.

Misrepresenting science has become an industry for some groups for reasons that vary from willful ignorance to political and religious demagoguery to plan falsehood for the sake of fear mongering, acquisition of power, and of course that most high God of all - Money.

-Zeno