How to Judge What is Good Science vs. Bad Science
In a digital world that clamors for clicks, news is sensationalized and “facts” change all the time. Here’s how to discern what is trustworthy and what is hogwash.
Good science is science that adheres to the scientific method, a systematic method of inquiry involving making a hypothesis based on existing knowledge, gathering evidence to test if it is correct, then either disproving or building support for the hypothesis. It takes many repetitions of applying this method to build reasonable support for a hypothesis.
Bad science is a flawed version of good science, with the potential for improvement. It follows the scientific method, only with errors or biases. Often, it’s produced with the best of intentions, just by researchers who are responding to skewed incentives.
This video explains how to spot the difference.
Further reading on this topic: fs.blog/spot-bad-science/
00:00 - Intro
00:41 - Why people mistrust science
01:52 - The first example of bad science: Power Posing
04:46 - The second example of bad science: Green Coffee Bean Study
06:57 - What makes good science, good?
07:16 - Published in reputable journal
08:19 - It's peer reviewed
09:46 - Experience of researchers
10:17 - Part of a larger body of work
11:56 - Doesn't claim a panacea
12:34 - Discloses (or avoids) conflicts of interest
13:16 - Doesn't claim anything based on one study
13:51 - Uses a representative sample size
15:29 - Why we should look to disprove what we know
OUR FREE NEWSLETTER: fs.blog/newsletter/
OUR COURSES:
📝 Decision Making & Parenting: fs.blog/courses-fs/
📈 OUR MOST POPULAR INTERVIEWS
🎬 The Full Story of Naval Ravikant: • The Angel Philosopher ...
🎬 Bill Ackman - Getting Back Up: • Bill Ackman: Dealing w...
🎬 Secrets to Healthy Relationships with Esther Perel: • Secrets to Healthy Rel...
🎙 Listen to our podcast
iTunes: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...
Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/1VyK52N...
GET IN TOUCH
🌍 Our website - www.fs.blog
GET EXCLUSIVE ACCESS TO OUR LEARNING COMMUNITY
fs.blog/membership/
ABOUT THE KNOWLEDGE PROJECT
Like the mentor you’ve always dreamed of having, The Knowledge Project shares timely yet timeless lessons for work and life. Past guests include Naval Ravikant, Daniel Kahneman, Jim Collins, Angela Duckworth, Seth Godin, Melanie Mitchell, & Esther Perel.
Пікірлер: 5
While Science is our best way of really knowing things, it's sad that most published research is wrong and unreproducible. The (financial) incentives are usually corrupted and you get what you incentivise. Veritasium made a video about this a while back as well, how even in the best case, ~1/3 of research claims will be statistically insignificant.
@johnschlottman619
4 ай бұрын
x most o so much
@johnschlottman619
4 ай бұрын
AND in result end up with too much deadwood / distracting / trivial ideas, making it harder for more accurate and useful stuff to stand out and grow
@johnschlottman619
4 ай бұрын
Your slightly off idea: they don't necessarily 'have the evidence' : they NOTICED sufficient evidence and/ or insight, to HAVE (reach) a more accurate conclusion than whatever crap was there before. 'Sufficient evidence' could come before, during, after, doesn't matter, not the same thing as the 'better / accurate' conclusion. As you note yourself, evidence collection can already be biased. So can conclusions. Don't trust either blindly. Not scrutinizing both may be fail.
'the scientific method' is a common misleading trope. There is no 'the method' as much as 'quite a number of good methodSS that together contribute towards verifiable, replicable results ' or whatever. Minor detail? No. Try always saying 'scientific methodSS': see if then you don't feel your underlying way of thinking and confidence in what you say improving.