When Good Science Goes Bad

Hacking Your ADHD

Going online has its perks - we've got a wealth of information at our fingertips - but with so much information it can be hard to find the truth. Often we can't find the signal for the noise because well, it is just really noisy. And by noisy, I mean there is a lot of bad information out there.

In today's episode, we're going to be looking specifically at science journalism, but really most of what we're going to be talking about can be applied to everything that we read online. We want to be getting the best information and so we've got to be cautious about our sources. So we're going to be looking at ways that research can be manipulated to support a flimsy claim, why we've got to go beyond reading the headlines and what to watch out for when we are reading those articles. Find Today's Show Notes at HackingYourADHD.com/badscience Today's Top Tips

1. While most scientist aren't trying to create bad science, lack of funding and time can make many studies suspect. To help validate claims, read into the study methodology and see what other research supports those claims.
2. Make sure that you are reading beyond just headlines. Many over zealous reporters will embellish headlines to garner more clicks.
3. Watch for words like "proved" about science. Science doesn't prove anything, it just creates evidence that supports a claim or refutes it.
4. Be skeptical of claims that seem to good to be true, they usually are.