Monday, May 18, 2020

Science - New or True?

  • People often quote news articles about recent developments in science as if a new Truth was discovered. Health studies are a particularly popular topic.
    Studies show ad lib
  • However, most studies are false, and most news articles (particularly headlines) misquote or exaggerate them, and most people misquote or exaggerate the news article or headline. The probability the person is saying something true is low, say 40% * 40% * 40% = 6% (± 5%). 
  • If one wanted to learn about the world, it would be better to learn more established science that is very likely to be True.
  • While books and courses are a good way to learn knowledge, people are often interested in short tidbits instead. For example, see all the blogs and magazines that just publish the same thing about cleaning your house or being productive.
  • It's less common that media or people discuss established facts in science. But people should feel free to publish, share and discuss interesting things they've found out about nature. While it may not be new it's more likely to be true.

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