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Science

Your handy free guide to science-based alarmism past and present

Here’s an interesting piece on science-based alarmism, from Pajamas Media: Take the alarm over mercury in fish: in 2004, an Environmental Protection Agency employee warned that 630,000 babies per year were born at risk of brain and nervous system damage due to “unsafe” levels of mercury in their mothers’ blood. Expectant mothers were discouraged from eating fish. Japan consumes a lot of fish, and the supposedly unsafe levels cited by the EPA are exceeded by 74% of women of childbearing age there. Yet there is no evidence that their children are mentally deficient. In fact, only benefits have been reported from high levels of fish consumption, including good brain function and improved intelligence at age four. The alarming forecast of Read More ›

National Institutes of Health director Francis Collins faces a problem more challenging than the human genome: Race bias

Social signals are potent, and among the most potent are “Who You Know” and “Who You Owe.” Trouble is, these signals tend to travel exclusive channels. Subtle checklists lurk at every turn. And quantitative research methods often do not identify key signals like “Do WE need him to succeed?” Insightful qualitative analysis is the next step. Read More ›