1. What does Ben Goldacre consider to be the weakest form of scientific evidence? 2. Scientists or science writers may extrapolate from a lab study of cells in a Petri dish to the human body. Why is this likely to be "bad science"?
3. Why are research studies that lack controls examples of "bad science"?
4. Assuming that correlation establishes causation is a common practice in "bad science". Explain what it means and why it is "bad science".
5. Drug company research on new medicines generally gets positive results. How does Ben Goldacre explain this? How can the underlying cause be detected?
6. What is publication bias? How does it contribute to "bad science"?
7. What do you think? How can thinking like a scientist and having knowledge of scientific experiments and reasoning make you a wiser consumer?