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Bad Science

  1. How the Self-Esteem Craze Took Over AmericaSometimes, ideas that are a bit scientifically suspect catch on because they are too good to not believe.
    By Jesse Singal
  2. bad science
    Why a Nonexistent Researcher Was Offered a Bunch of Sham Editing JobsThe world of sham academic publishing is extremely shady, as a clever new experiment involving “Dr. Fraud” shows.
    By Jesse Singal
  3. bad science
    3 Women Lost Their Eyesight After Shady Stem-Cell TreatmentsThey had their own stem cells injected into their eyes at a Florida clinic, and the results were not good.
    By Jesse Singal
  4. march for science
    Of Course Social Scientists Should Participate in the March for ScienceA psychologist argues that social science is too wrought with its own problems at the moment, but that argument doesn’t make sense.
    By Jesse Singal
  5. bad science
    How the Supreme Court Spread a False Statistic About Sex OffendersIt’s hard to stand up against a claim that feels correct, and that ties into people’s deep-seated fears.
    By Jesse Singal
  6. bad science
    Cornell’s Food and Brand Lab Might Be Melting DownA new set of allegations suggests that Brian Wansink has been self-plagiarizing for years, and may have engaged in serious data misconduct as well.
    By Jesse Singal
  7. bad science
    Sometimes It’s Good to Shame Researchers a BitA set of studies purportedly showing which sorts of dance moves are sexiest show how researchers benefit from shoddy work.
    By Jesse Singal
  8. bad science
    Donald Trump Just Broadcast a Dangerous Misconception About Autism RatesNo, there hasn’t been a staggering rise in autism rates in kids — in fact, researchers are torn about whether there’s been any rise at all.
    By Jesse Singal
  9. bad science
    A Popular Diet-Science Lab Has Been Publishing Really Shoddy ResearchResearchers looked at four recent papers and found not one, not two, but 150 statistical errors. And that may just be the tip of the iceberg.
    By Jesse Singal
  10. mindset theory
    Is Mindset Theory, a Wildly Popular Idea in Education, Really in Trouble?A BuzzFeed story suggests that certain claims about “growth” and “fixed” mindsets are overblown. The truth is complicated.
    By Jesse Singal
  11. microaggressions
    How Microaggression Training Could Be Harming Minority StudentsSometimes, a psychological idea moves from the drawing board to applied settings a bit too quickly. It might be time to slow down.
    By Jesse Singal
  12. gender dysphoria
    You Should Watch the BBC’s Controversial Documentary on Gender DysphoriaIt offers one of the most nuanced, thoughtful examinations of a complicated subject yet, partly by speaking to people others have ignored.
    By Jesse Singal
  13. bad science
    Scientology Is Teaching British Schoolkids About Saying No to DrugsNarcanon pops up everywhere, over and over and over, despite having little evidence behind it and being built on Scientological principles.
    By Jesse Singal
  14. replication crisis
    There’s a Problem With a Bunch of Psychology TextbooksA trio of researchers evaluated a bunch of introductory-level material to see how rigorous it was, and the results weren’t great.
    By Jesse Singal
  15. Experts: Sex and Porn Addiction Probably Aren’t Real Mental DisordersA new position statement from a major professional organization is a big win for skeptics of sex and porn addiction.
    By Jesse Singal
  16. bad science
    Tom Price Belongs to a Really Scary Medical OrganizationThe Association of American Physicians and Surgeons promotes anti-vaccine hysteria, fear of immigrants, and rejection of the concept of “evidence.”
    By Jesse Singal
  17. replication crisis
    Inside Psychology’s ‘Methodological Terrorism’ DebateA seemingly obscure debate about etiquette contains some big questions about the future of social science.
    By Jesse Singal
  18. political science
    What a Professor Got Wrong When He Argued Against Voting Rights for Dumb PeopleEven setting aside the moral problems with Jason Brennan’s proposal, he distorted or misunderstood some political science to get there.
    By Jesse Singal
  19. power poses
    The Fall of Power Poses Has an Interesting House-of-Cards Aspect to ItThe authors of the original study thought they were building on a sound foundation of past research. They may not have been.
    By Jesse Singal
  20. ’Power Posing’ Co-author: ‘I Do Not Believe That ‘Power Pose’ Effects Are Real’Dana Carney has posted a document that is going to send ripples through social psychology.
    By Jesse Singal
  21. Here’s a Helpful Rundown of Psychology’s Replication CrisisIt may shake your faith in social science.
    By Jesse Singal
  22. bad science
    Scientists Just Tested the ‘5-Second Rule’Bad news, floor-food lovers.
    By Jesse Singal
  23. conversion therapy
    What Anti-Gay Conversion Therapy Was Like in the 1960sThe author and journalist Steven Gaines recounts his experiences in a tony Manhattan psychiatric hospital.
    By Jesse Singal
  24. bad science
    Pamela Anderson: Porn Made Anthony Weiner SextThis is not a good argument against porn.
    By Jesse Singal
  25. bad science
    The Myth About Periods That Just Won’t DieEveryone thinks that some magical syncing occurs, but nope.
    By Cari Romm
  26. Maybe the Replication Crisis is Really an Inspirational-Ideas CrisisIt seems like the psychology ideas that are facing the biggest challenges are also the ones offering the most optimistic accounts of human nature.
    By Jesse Singal
  27. technology
    How Cat People Differ From Dog People on FacebookIt’s complicated.
    By Jesse Singal
  28. bad science
    Here Are Some Widespread Myths About Human BehaviorThey are tenacious.
    By Jesse Singal
  29. Donald Trump
    Someone Turned Donald Trump Into an Ornery Scientist on TwitterDonald Trump, Ph.D., has some serious problems with you and your subpar academic work.
    By Jesse Singal
  30. GMOs
    Americans Continue to Fear GMOs Despite Not Knowing Much About ThemIs there any way to effectively hammer home the scientific consensus that GMOs are safe?
    By Jesse Singal
  31. bad science
    Why It Took Social Science Years to Correct a Simple Error About ‘Psychoticism’“This guy comes up — and I didn’t even recognize him at the time — and says, You tried to destroy my dissertation and I’m going to get you.”
    By Jesse Singal
  32. bad science
    E-Cigarettes Sure Are Making a Lot of Health ClaimsA new paper suggests the FDA is about to be inundated.
    By Jesse Singal
  33. bad science
    What a Fake Donald Trump Paper Can Tell Us About Bad ScienceHumor at its nerdiest.
    By Jesse Singal
  34. campus free speech
    How Not to Write About College Students and Free SpeechA new article in The Atlantic does some impressive cherry-picking of student opinion.
    By Jesse Singal
  35. bad science
    How the Media Botched the Gordie Howe Stem-Cell StoryThis was one of the worst examples of credulous, damaging science reporting in recent memory.
    By Jesse Singal
  36. addiction
    The Tragic, Pseudoscientific Practice of Forcing Addicts to ‘Hit Rock Bottom’How a bad idea gave rise to sleep deprivation, sexual humiliation, and all sorts of other abuses.
    By Jesse Singal
  37. GMOs
    Why Many GMO Opponents Will Never Be Convinced OtherwiseWhen it comes to matters of disgust, a lot of people aren’t really interested in evidence.
    By Jesse Singal
  38. bad science
    No, Brain Waves Can’t Explain PoliticsA CNNMoney segment made it sound like “neural engagement” could explain Donald Trump. Nope.
    By Jesse Singal
  39. No, a Rat Study Can’t Tell Us About Human BromanceThis is a brotally depressing example of how bad press releases spread misinformation.
    By Jesse Singal
  40. bad science
    The Chocolate-Milk Concussion ScandalThis is a pretty spectacular, embarrassing failure.
    By Jesse Singal
  41. bad science
    Let’s Track Overhyped Research Press Releases¡Sí, se puede!
    By Jesse Singal
  42. bad science
    Lumosity Must Pay $2 Million Because ‘Brain Training’ Is Not RealIt’s like a personal trainer for your brain! Except, no, it’s not. 
    By Tanya Basu
  43. law enforcement
    Is Junk Science Helping Cops Get Away With Unjustified Shootings?Meet the psychologist the Justice Department is calling out for shaky research — even as it pays him.
    By Jesse Singal
  44. lists
    25 Things Men Worry Could Give Them Man-BoobsThere’s a lot of paranoia, according to the internet.
    By Erica Schwiegershausen
  45. fitness
    Running Too Much Isn’t Really Going to Kill YouHere’s a pretty good example of how weak or inconclusive studies go viral, sometimes freaking us out for no reason.
    By Jesse Singal