Anatomy of a Statistical Meltdown

“Plastics Chemical Tied to Aggression in Young Girls,” said the headline on ABC News. “The research showed that hyperactive, anxious, aggressive and depressed behavior was more common in 3-year-old girls who were exposed in the womb to bisphenol-A than in boys of the...

Death by Bacon: Did the News get to the Meat of the Matter?

The conclusions were guaranteed to make headlines around the world: processed meats, such as bacon, were carcinogenic—and red meat was a “probable” carcinogen. The World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer had surveyed over 800 studies on...

Glaring Flaws in Sugar Toxicity Study

Anew study has claimed that obese children could find rapid health improvement by small sugar reductions, without caloric restrictions. According to the lead author, Robert Lustig, the new study shows that sugar may not be harmful because of how it leads to weight...

Black Coffee is Not a Sign You Are a Sadist

Black coffee drinkers are more likely to be psychopaths and sadists, screamed a slew of recent headlines (see: Huffington Post and Quartz). And the content of some of these stories was equally hyperbolic: “Are you wondering whether to trust someone you recently met?...

Presidential Polling’s Margin for Error

Polls are finding Donald Trump ahead—way ahead—of other candidates running for the Republican nomination for presidency. Based on a recent Pew Research Center poll, CNN practically declared victory for him, noting he got 25 percent of the votes in the survey. The...