Quote of the Day - Don't Be Fooled

Provocative assertions are provactive precisely because they are counterintuitive - which is a very good reason for skepticism. When you hear such an assertation, don't be easily persuaded that you are wrong. It may well be that the provocative assertation should be dismissed. Think about whether there is some problems with the data, perhaps self-selection bias. Think about whether the causation runs in a different direction. And oh yes, consider the possibility that there was a mistake. Even the best, and most honest, researchers are human - and humans make mistakes. - Standard Deviations: Flawed Assumptions, Tortured Data, and Other Ways to Tell Lies with Statistics, Gary Smith, Overlook Duckworth, 2014.