Re: so-called AIDS in Africa
Posted: Mon Jan 29, 2007 4:02 pm
BUT I think Irene's point, and wonderful illustration, are very good
too--
in some cases the study itself is fine, it's the *interpretation*
that's bogus. And sometimes the disconnect between what the study says
and what the interpretation says, is just that clear--but only if one
reads the study itself, and understand what is written there.
Sometimes you just need to read what's there;
Other times you need to know enough about the subject to understand
where the problems are, e.g. knowing that not all protein is created
equal, and cats are not made to eat soy! E.g. knowing whether the
product used in the study was an appropriate one (powdered eggs versus
fresh; or "proving" that a nutrient is non-therapeutic by simply doing
the study with a far-less-than-therapeutic dose size (e.g. a vitamin E
study I noticed); or "proving" that a nutrient is ineffective by using
it in a study on something for which *no one* ever considered it
effective (e.g.some arnica study--anyone remember? Proving that it
didn't help nerve pain or something?).
Studies can go astray at various points, *and* some no doubt are just
fine. I think her point is very well taken, that if the results of the
study actually *matter* to us, it pays to read the study itself. Just
think how much more efficient it is to *correctly interpret* a study
that was already done!
Shannon
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
too--
in some cases the study itself is fine, it's the *interpretation*
that's bogus. And sometimes the disconnect between what the study says
and what the interpretation says, is just that clear--but only if one
reads the study itself, and understand what is written there.
Sometimes you just need to read what's there;
Other times you need to know enough about the subject to understand
where the problems are, e.g. knowing that not all protein is created
equal, and cats are not made to eat soy! E.g. knowing whether the
product used in the study was an appropriate one (powdered eggs versus
fresh; or "proving" that a nutrient is non-therapeutic by simply doing
the study with a far-less-than-therapeutic dose size (e.g. a vitamin E
study I noticed); or "proving" that a nutrient is ineffective by using
it in a study on something for which *no one* ever considered it
effective (e.g.some arnica study--anyone remember? Proving that it
didn't help nerve pain or something?).
Studies can go astray at various points, *and* some no doubt are just
fine. I think her point is very well taken, that if the results of the
study actually *matter* to us, it pays to read the study itself. Just
think how much more efficient it is to *correctly interpret* a study
that was already done!
Shannon
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]