Using Polaroid 779 In One Step

Three scientific studies: the good, the bad and the ugly moments of change

with my personal hobby to reflect on the good or bad application of scientific method, and especially what we offer the media in this regard, I am today with three striking news in the country that are worth comment, for download a bit of tension in recent days Zapatero, the evil speculators and the (deserved) victory for Barca in the league have made the environment:

• " One study concluded that the Power Balance Bracelet does not improve the balance "
• " Children who eat more bread are thinner "
• " Fetuses prefer Mozart dislike jazz or rock "

The first cites a study by the Polytechnic University of Madrid serve to check whether the bracelet of the fa-fools and fools to dry, improved or not improved balance. say, in defense the Corps of Engineers honored that form in this holy house (including this writer), the study was carried out such a Faculty of Physical Education and Sport, unknown to me so far, but apparently quite free time, as its name suggests ...
The second news
cites a study by a professor of nutrition at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid.

The third does not refer to a specific study, but an interview with Thomas Verny, "psychiatrist babies and pregnancies" (sic), which released this pearl and some other similar, based on "their experiences."

I'm going to explain why, despite the somewhat frivolous appearance of the three news (and by extension of studies to which they refer), the first it seems good, the second and third BAD FEA. ; Of course, this is my personal opinion based on the data presented in the development of the story, do not know in detail the specific studies, so it could screw up at some point (I say this about the possible complaints more than anything ...)

• GOOD : It turns out that the study on the bracelet of yore seems to fulfill the steps necessary to draw any conclusions relevant to this type of study: the system of "double blind (neither the volunteers nor the experimenters know which hologram bracelet and what has not, to not influence the results), balance tests are standardized instruments are used to objectify what is meant by "balance" is a statistical study end ... and concludes that "no evidence of effect on the balance." No more. Does not question whether the wristband erection increases or enhances self-esteem, or makes you feel more beautiful, and so on. That, of course, would require a similar ad-hoc the previous.
• THE UGLY: The second study concludes that "children who eat more bread are less overweight and obesity and improve blood parameters and other nutrients." In the detail of the news found that a sample of children, and relates the initial state with its intake of bread. Then is a theoretical hypothesis : if we increase the amount of bread in the diet, improved physical parameters. Then he raises a lot of bread to the diet of a portion of the sample, re-examine their physical parameters to check the validity the hypothesis. We find that the parameters have improved, and concludes that the reason is the bread. Question for readers: Am I the only one who finds some flaws in this methodology? I insist that I have no details of the study, but only what is clear from the news, we should conclude that it does not adequately fulfill the scientific method: it makes a statement and is preparing an experiment to see if that statement is true .. . but does not seem to take into account the other possibilities, such as the bread is not the only factor, the correlation may be spurious ... Have you checked if the statement is also true if you increase the intake say, wild strawberries in the diet? And if so, what effect relevant, bread or strawberries? Is says something about the amount of bread from which we can expect an improvement of the parameters? You have checked the sample by other factors that could introduce strong biases, such as heredity, etc. In short, if this study is not directly in the category of BAD, is because we read (unsurprisingly) that is sponsored by the English bread industry, which places it directly in the OEM section.
• THE BAD: the latter, which should be the ugly, judging by the photo of the deceased, really know the details their scientific career. Perhaps Therapist can offer some light. But if we are to judge only by what we said in the interview, I will classify statements BAD because throwing type, based on personal experiences or directly on "evidence", scratched directly into shamanism.

In conclusion, we are left with the first study. Some might say that to know that the power-balance bracelets did not work so careful study needed. I know!: It is well known that the only effect wristbands mood (a part of the population), and improve sexual function (from both parts of the population) are the diamond bracelet. And this is pure empiricism: Taste and see. ;)