Jay Lasker, aka Crémieux on Twitter/X, has spent the past few years digging into bad science and its bad data, especially in health science.
For example, the rise in autism is almost solely due to expanded diagnosis and the incentives to get a diagnosis. This is especially relevant for policies like the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) in Australia, which pays out on the basis of a diagnosis.
Worse, because this idea of a rise in autism has become a global meme, people and politicians are already searching for answers and interventions to prevent it from getting worse! Before asking the question “Is the data correct and showing what we think?”, we jump to the question “What should we do about it?”
Indeed, many of the troubling social trends that seem to capture our collective minds are pure data measurement artefacts. They aren’t real. We can stop worrying.
Find Jay’s terrific Substack here.
And for his excellent regular posting on Twitter/X find him here.
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