How myths are made – Bad Science

In his Bad Science column for the Guardian today, Ben Goldacre looks at how falsehoods and distortion can spread widely. Specifically, he’s writing about Steven A. Greenberg’s analysis of distortions in scientific papers, and how they spread.

What’s described in the column sounds very familiar, and is clearly applicable to uncomfortable truths and annoying facts (for elites), and how they’re treated by mainstream media and other power centres.

Crucially, no papers refuted or critiqued this contradictory data. Instead, they were just ignored.

Very familiar indeed.

(If it isn’t, do yourself a favour and read Manufacturing Consent by Edward S. Herman and Noam Chomsky. If you’re buying, try and get the 2008 edition — the one with the black cover.)