ScienceBlog.ie

As a freelance web writer, I spend much of my time reading various online media sources from
the New York Times to the Wall Street Journal to the Guardian and more. Whenever I’m reading
through news articles, I’m always curious to find out, what, exactly, has grabbed everyone’s
attention. Scrolling down to the “most viewed” section, I’ve found that the most popular reads
tend to be those focused on health.

While this is understandable, considering the developed world’s newfound obsession with
healthy lifestyles, I’m amazed by how all these stories are essentially the same. One common
story tells readers that consuming X will decrease your chances of getting Y deadly disease
by Z%. Or how about the “contrary to findings in previous studies, X isn’t (or is) bad for you
after all” story? Then there’s the common formulation “taking X supplement improves Y bodily
function.” You get the picture.

That’s why I was delighted to hear about the recent American publication of
Bad Science: Quacks, Hacks, and Big Pharma Flacks, written by science writer and psychiatrist
Ben Goldacre. Goldacre, who has written a weekly column for the Guardian for several years
now, also called Bad Science, knowledgeably demonstrates how we are daily bombarded by
misleading studies that sound convincing simply because they are decorated with “science-y”
language. He also teaches the average reader, who may not be as adept at evaluating scientific
studies, how to decipher which studies and claims stand up to the rigorous logic and proof
required of sound scientific inquiry.

Goldacre writes with unsurpassable wit that makes the book a quick read. You’ll be having so
much fun following the author on his crusades against misleading health claims, that you won’t
even realize you’re learning valuable information. In one example, Goldacre shows how footbath
detox treatments typically offered at salons are completely useless. He also skewers nutritionists
who try to claim ownership (and make money) from common sense advice like eating more
vegetables and exercising. Most importantly, Goldacre demonstrates how misinterpretations and
misleading statements stamped with the seal of scientific rhetoric can be downright dangerous.

In an age when general science literacy is particularly weak, Goldacre’s book is a breath of fresh
air on the popular science writing scene, and is a must-read for anyone looking to become a more
informed consumer. As the Independent noted in its review of the book: “Thousands of books
are enjoyable; many are enlightening; only a very few will ever rate as necessary to social health.
This is one of them.”

By-line:

This guest post is contributed by Kitty Holman, who writes on the topics of nursing schools.
She welcomes your comments at her email Id: kitty.holman20@gmail.com.

Written by Brian Christensen

Brian graduated from TCD with a degree in Medicinal Chemistry in 2005, and has worked in science recruitment since. He currently specialises in Pharma, Biotech and Connected Health