Remember that article on the misuse of statistics in science 
which I apparently rashly endorsed?
http://tinyurl.com/yh7sk7r

Well, the _American Scientist_ newsletter reports that it is "one 
of the all-time most viewed news items by subscribers to 
Science in the News Daily". Of course, that says nothing about 
whether it was a good or bad article, only that it evoked much 
interest (or its title, anyway). 

Locally, two of our authoritative sources on statistics weighed in 
on it, and both found the article sadly wanting. But wait...

One trashed it because "There is little here that hasn't been 
written about and widely known since the 1960s."

In other words, ho-hum, we already knew that. 

The other said: "For me the only "it" that is wrong is this article 
... in many ways"

Can they both be right?

(For the record, I agree with Chris that the content of the article 
is not largely new, but the author does have some nifty recent 
references in support, and it seems to me worthwhile to have 
the issues effectively re-stated as he does. I also acknowledge 
that Jim has contributed some thoughtful critical comments.  In 
other words, I'm going to sit on the fence on this one. But I do 
not think the essay has a hidden agenda to defend the evil drug 
industry. I checked. Tom Siegfried has an impressive record as 
a science journalist.)

Stephen

--------------------------------------------
Stephen L. Black, Ph.D.          
Professor of Psychology, Emeritus   
Bishop's University               
e-mail:  sblack at ubishops.ca
2600 College St.
Sherbrooke QC  J1M 1Z7
Canada
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