Comments on: His Opinion is Significant at the p http://www.apathysketchpad.com/blog/2008/05/26/his-opinion-is-significant-at-the-p/ Floccinaucinihilipilificating antidisestablishmentarianism since 2001. Wed, 17 Mar 2010 14:03:08 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Apathy Sketchpad » Blog Archive » A Briffa’s Wrong http://www.apathysketchpad.com/blog/2008/05/26/his-opinion-is-significant-at-the-p/comment-page-1/#comment-3290 Apathy Sketchpad » Blog Archive » A Briffa’s Wrong Mon, 02 Jun 2008 16:02:56 +0000 http://www.apathysketchpad.com/blog/?p=840#comment-3290 [...] other day I posted about Dr John Briffa’s rant against p-values. He has since then posted some responses, in the [...] [...] other day I posted about Dr John Briffa’s rant against p-values. He has since then posted some responses, in the [...]

]]> By: Dr Aust http://www.apathysketchpad.com/blog/2008/05/26/his-opinion-is-significant-at-the-p/comment-page-1/#comment-3237 Dr Aust Fri, 30 May 2008 23:18:06 +0000 http://www.apathysketchpad.com/blog/?p=840#comment-3237 Oh dear. Has Mad Mel being having another go? How very tedious. I saw the Telegraph article, which was truly dire. Incidentally, it noted at the end "additional research by Sally Beck..." Sally is one of the journalists who have churned out tons of credulous MMR-scare conspiracy theory gibberish over the last decade, notably puffing every dismal preliminary study, no matter how feeble, that remotely seems to support Wakefield. The fact that most of these never make it into proper journals, and usually turn out to be desperately badly done work from people with ideological or financial connections to Wakefield... you couldn't make it up. I have done a post on Kirby, and his contact in the Lords, over on the blog. Must try and do one on the Telegraph article if I can find time. As I have said often on the blogs, scientists (and doctors) have a universal view of Wakefield as a guy whose surgeon-in-a-hurry egotism meant he was prepared to fabricate the data. I have never met a single person in medicine or science research that sees the saga any other way... partly because we have all met other such folk, though rarely quite so deluded. So we are not surprised Wakers exist - only that so many sad and desperate people place such misguided faith in the man. Oh dear. Has Mad Mel being having another go? How very tedious. I saw the Telegraph article, which was truly dire. Incidentally, it noted at the end “additional research by Sally Beck…” Sally is one of the journalists who have churned out tons of credulous MMR-scare conspiracy theory gibberish over the last decade, notably puffing every dismal preliminary study, no matter how feeble, that remotely seems to support Wakefield. The fact that most of these never make it into proper journals, and usually turn out to be desperately badly done work from people with ideological or financial connections to Wakefield… you couldn’t make it up.

I have done a post on Kirby, and his contact in the Lords, over on the blog. Must try and do one on the Telegraph article if I can find time.

As I have said often on the blogs, scientists (and doctors) have a universal view of Wakefield as a guy whose surgeon-in-a-hurry egotism meant he was prepared to fabricate the data. I have never met a single person in medicine or science research that sees the saga any other way… partly because we have all met other such folk, though rarely quite so deluded. So we are not surprised Wakers exist – only that so many sad and desperate people place such misguided faith in the man.

]]> By: Oatmeal http://www.apathysketchpad.com/blog/2008/05/26/his-opinion-is-significant-at-the-p/comment-page-1/#comment-3231 Oatmeal Wed, 28 May 2008 01:04:07 +0000 http://www.apathysketchpad.com/blog/?p=840#comment-3231 The lamentable Telegraph article. Mel P in The Spectator. Briffa on an airplane. Does anyone feel that the media coverage around the upcoming Kirby event in the Houses of Parliament is going to be a doozy? The lamentable Telegraph article. Mel P in The Spectator. Briffa on an airplane. Does anyone feel that the media coverage around the upcoming Kirby event in the Houses of Parliament is going to be a doozy?

]]> By: Andrew http://www.apathysketchpad.com/blog/2008/05/26/his-opinion-is-significant-at-the-p/comment-page-1/#comment-3230 Andrew Tue, 27 May 2008 11:53:19 +0000 http://www.apathysketchpad.com/blog/?p=840#comment-3230 <blockquote>The point seems to be that scientists and doctors are unfeeling robots, what with their use of statistics and dismissal of anecdotes - unlike those alt-med types with their kindness, their bed-side manners and their best-selling books of course…</blockquote> I think the big problem is that that's both sides' point. They just disagree about who it supports.

The point seems to be that scientists and doctors are unfeeling robots, what with their use of statistics and dismissal of anecdotes – unlike those alt-med types with their kindness, their bed-side manners and their best-selling books of course…

I think the big problem is that that’s both sides’ point. They just disagree about who it supports.

]]> By: jdc325 http://www.apathysketchpad.com/blog/2008/05/26/his-opinion-is-significant-at-the-p/comment-page-1/#comment-3229 jdc325 Tue, 27 May 2008 11:50:44 +0000 http://www.apathysketchpad.com/blog/?p=840#comment-3229 I've always thought of Briffa as being a less controversial version of Holford. How disappointing that he turns out to be another anti-vaccinationist nutritionista. Reading his blog post, it seemed Briffa was claiming that scientists were ignoring people's real world experiences (or 'denying their reality'). He then went on to claim that people are too often patronised or dismissed by doctors. The point seems to be that scientists and doctors are unfeeling robots, what with their use of statistics and dismissal of anecdotes - unlike those alt-med types with their kindness, their bed-side manners and their best-selling books of course... I’ve always thought of Briffa as being a less controversial version of Holford. How disappointing that he turns out to be another anti-vaccinationist nutritionista. Reading his blog post, it seemed Briffa was claiming that scientists were ignoring people’s real world experiences (or ‘denying their reality’). He then went on to claim that people are too often patronised or dismissed by doctors. The point seems to be that scientists and doctors are unfeeling robots, what with their use of statistics and dismissal of anecdotes – unlike those alt-med types with their kindness, their bed-side manners and their best-selling books of course…

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