The FastDay Forum

[carorees]

Distorted and misleading scientific claims appear anywhere and everywhere. They pull the wool over people’s eyes and undermine science. Evidence matters in many of the decisions we make - as patients, consumers, voters and citizens. If you want to know whether a claim made in a policy, newspaper article, advert or product is backed by scientific evidence, ask the people making the claim to provide it. The organisation "Sense about Science" has a campaign to encourage people to ask for evidence...it is well worth reading what they have to say about why it is important:

Why we should always ask for evidence:
http://www.senseaboutscience.org/pages/a4e_launch.html

Here are some great examples of what people have done to ask for evidence to support wild claims:
http://www.senseaboutscience.org/pages/ ... nting.html

Unsurprisingly, some claims made by the NHS don't appear to be evidence-based as this case-story reveals:

Philippa Shelton is a volunteer for Sense About Science

“I read a claim on the on the NHS Choices website saying ‘research measuring water loss has shown that we should drink about 1.2 litres of fluid every day to stop us getting dehydrated.’ This is similar to the common idea of drinking 7 cups of water a day, but where does this exact volume come from? I asked for the evidence behind this claim.”

“I got a short response from the NHS Choices Editorial Team. They said that the information on their website is ‘consistent with current advice from the Department of Health. This advice is based on evidence from Fitzsimmons J.T. "The Physiology of Thirst and Sodium Appetite" (1979).’ After sifting through the almost 600 page book I was unable to find the specific study investigating human water loss and dehydration. In my opinion, publications from 1979 should not always be considered ‘current’, and therefore I am not satisfied with the evidence supplied.”

I urge all of you to be on the lookout for unsupported claims and to ask for evidence!

You only have to look at Facebook to see some of the ridiculous claims that people believe, it always surprises and annoys me that some people are so gullible. I'm not one to believe everything I read, especially on Facebook, and when I question it I'm sure they all think "Here she goes again, on her high horse"

[carieoates]

Great comments both of you. I also think Facebook believers are daft. So many long winded stories containing, mild to extreme heartache, scaremongering and general tripe. Being a scientist myself I disbelieve until shown otherwise.