4 ms·

If a quarter of your body was covered in leaches would you consider yourself plagued by leaches?

taeric 3y ago
I mean, fair that "plagued by" is a very vague term that has no quantifiable meaning. But appeals to emotion to cast doubt on all studies is frustrating. "Healthy skepticism in the face of bad studies" would be a great headline and is accurate. But too much of the skepticism we are exposed to on a regular basis is not healthy.
- peteradio 3y ago
  If 1/4 of all studies have fundamental data issues then that means in some corners we are making medical decisions based on bunk, that absolutely is a plague. Why moderate the language to extenuate?
  - taeric 3y ago
    Because if 100% of that 1/4 of studies is all in, say, homeopathy, that gives a very different action plan than if it is a random sampling of all studies. Still bad, mind you, but unfocused skepticism is its own plague that will cause more trouble.
    - peteradio 3y ago
      Exactly. Its important to see this stratified across subfields. If the vast majority are in homeopathy then maybe who cares? If a substantial portion are in, oh lets say Alzheimers treatment then maybe that's more of a problem?
      - taeric 3y ago
        Basically this. So, fair that I shouldn't just be calling for moderating the language. I'm more wanting specific language with a distaste for unfocused skepticism. I say this as a skeptic. :D
- lesuorac 3y ago
  I don't think plagued has ever meant X%. You can be the sole person in the world with the Bubonic Plague and you'll still be plagued by it. Whether or not untrustworthful clinical trials "cause distress to" [1] Medicine I don't think is debatable; medicine should be based on treatments that have reproducible effects or else people don't get better. [1]: https://www.google.com/search?q=define+plagued https://www.google.com/search?q=define+plagued
  - taeric 3y ago
    At an individual level, absolutely. In group dynamics, though, you avoid things that have the plague. Same as you avoid things that have rabies. Which is part of my point. If you say that "medicine is plagued" than a natural response is "avoid medicine." But, that is clearly a nonsensical outcome, all told.

I mean, fair that "plagued by" is a very vague term that has no quantifiable meaning. But appeals to emotion to cast doubt on all studies is frustrating. "Healthy skepticism in the face of bad studies" would be a great headline and is accurate. But too much of the skepticism we are exposed to on a regular basis is not healthy.

peteradio 3y ago
If 1/4 of all studies have fundamental data issues then that means in some corners we are making medical decisions based on bunk, that absolutely is a plague. Why moderate the language to extenuate?
- taeric 3y ago
  Because if 100% of that 1/4 of studies is all in, say, homeopathy, that gives a very different action plan than if it is a random sampling of all studies. Still bad, mind you, but unfocused skepticism is its own plague that will cause more trouble.
  - peteradio 3y ago
    Exactly. Its important to see this stratified across subfields. If the vast majority are in homeopathy then maybe who cares? If a substantial portion are in, oh lets say Alzheimers treatment then maybe that's more of a problem?
    - taeric 3y ago
      Basically this. So, fair that I shouldn't just be calling for moderating the language. I'm more wanting specific language with a distaste for unfocused skepticism. I say this as a skeptic. :D
lesuorac 3y ago
I don't think plagued has ever meant X%. You can be the sole person in the world with the Bubonic Plague and you'll still be plagued by it. Whether or not untrustworthful clinical trials "cause distress to" [1] Medicine I don't think is debatable; medicine should be based on treatments that have reproducible effects or else people don't get better. [1]: https://www.google.com/search?q=define+plagued https://www.google.com/search?q=define+plagued
- taeric 3y ago
  At an individual level, absolutely. In group dynamics, though, you avoid things that have the plague. Same as you avoid things that have rabies. Which is part of my point. If you say that "medicine is plagued" than a natural response is "avoid medicine." But, that is clearly a nonsensical outcome, all told.