Ah. Then yeah that’s a problem, but I’m not sure why this would be worse with recent research.
This article gives a pretty good overview of the shortcomings of medical statistics, and includes one of my favorite lines ever:
Such sad statistical situations suggest that the marriage of science and math may be desperately in need of counseling. Perhaps it could be provided by the Rev. Thomas Bayes.
Why especially the “newer stuff”?
The two most obvious reasons are:
1) Once the low-hanging fruit is exhausted, people are more likely to make stuff up.
2) Newer stuff has had less time for problems to get exposed.
Just curious, as I’ve heard the opposite asserted with confidence.
1) Very little of the Hansonian critique of medicine involves researchers making stuff up, and I doubt this is a major problem.
2) True, although hopefully research methodology is improving.
This analysis may interest you, I seem to recall it supports your suspicion.
Sorry about that, I didn’t meant more generate results based on statistical noise, then outright faking research.
Ah. Then yeah that’s a problem, but I’m not sure why this would be worse with recent research.
This article gives a pretty good overview of the shortcomings of medical statistics, and includes one of my favorite lines ever:
Because the earlier stuff, e.g., sanitation, vaccines, and antibiotics, had a stronger effect and thus was easier to notice above the noise.
And also the older stuff has been around long enough to get the bad results beaten out of it.