I've been writing about health and medical topics for a long time and this piece does a good job of discussing how the science can get 'icky.' First, let me sa

I've been writing about health and medical topics for a long time and this piece does a good job of discussing how the science can get 'icky.' First, let me say that in general, modern medicine has done wonders, increasing duration and quality of life in astonishing ways. That said, the system is set up to promote positive studies/findings, and there are a lot of ways you can play with the data. Very competent statisticians/researchers are capable of helping studies, sometimes, be more positive than they might otherwise be. That, plus the many millions of dollars you can make from a drug, has often resulted in questionable - but predictable - results.