Why can’t so many people understand the difference between these two things?
Just because two things happen together with some level of predictability,
it does not mean that one CAUSES the other!
On Friday mornings I put out the trash can, and whaddaya know, later that day, the garbage truck comes. Is it BECAUSE I put out the trash? NO, it’s because both events are caused by the fact that Friday is trash day in my neighborhood.
Last night on 20/20 the lead story was on cell phones possibly causing ill health effects.
Now without getting into a big debate on that subject (That’s why I posted to the Pit and not GD. I happen to think there may be a problem and we need more independent research), one of the studies cited to support their proposal that there is a health risk from cell phones claimed that their research showed that people with brain tumors on the right side of their brain typically held their cell phones to their right ear, and those with brain tumors on the left side of their brain typically held their cell phones to their left ear, and that this meant that the cell phones caused the brain tumors.
Well ya think it might be because, for example, mostly right-handed people hold their phones with their right hand and ditto for lefties? And that right or left handedness, or some other “third party” cause might be the reason for the tumor? Perhaps right-handed people have a propensity to slap themselves more often on their right side (the DOH! effect), or talk on their regular (wired? cordless?) phones on that side.
I’m not saying it’s not true, heck it could be the cell phones,
but this was purported science leaping to these causal conclusions without looking beyond what they were looking to find.
There are a million other examples of this around.
I’m just frustrated by the pseudo-science.
And all the people who take it at face value.
Thanks for listening. ::takes deep breath::