Good advice for everybody. Not least in assessing contradictory findings about whether X, Y Z are good for you or not
You do not need to be in any position to judge whether the scientific or statistical methods employed were appropriate. Scientists (& the journalists who report these stories) have a very Humpty Dumpty approach to language, so just ask What exactly do they mean by that?
One recent example sticks in my mind, if only because it seemed to catch the imagination of several Times columnists who all referred to it in the ensuing weeks
Three cups of coffee a day can increase your risk of heart problems
What do they mean by 3?
What do they mean by cup?
What do they mean by coffee?
What do they mean by a day?
I feel pretty sure that the mug of instant you grab on the run while trying to get everybody out of the house in the morning has a different effect from the cappuccino you share with a friend & a blueberry muffin later in the day. Which has a different effect from the small cup of Turkish coffee you have in the evening after a really relaxed elbows-on-the-table supper with friends
Is it the metronomic regularity of 3 per day which matters, or the average over a life time?
Or what
And finally, how many people did they study, & how did they select them? Is there any reason to think that results which apply to them will apply to you in exactly the same way?
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