April 9, 2012

The Heart of Science

There is a cottage industry of popular press articles, blogs, and podcasts that rehash findings from scientific journal articles. While constructing those narratives, the ambiguity and nuisance of science is airbrushed. The wrinkles of low sample size are lessened. The birthmarks of confusing correlation and causation are removed.

The same happens within scientific journal articles. The introduction and discussion section construct a narrative around the facts and figures of the method and the results section. The rough edges of confounds and raw data are smoothed over.

The heart of science lies within the method and the results section.

When trying to understand the science of any topic, eat the raw heart first.

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