Don't Let Math Pull the Wool Over Your Eyes

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323374504578219873933502726.html

by johnbender • 14 years ago

3 1 14 years ago

online.wsj.com

johnbender• 14 years ago

This article starts out rather poorly.

"Other research has shown that even those who should be especially clear-sighted about numbers—scientific researchers ... are often uncomfortable with, and credulous about, mathematical material."

Followed less than a paragraph later by discussing the results of adding a spurious mathematical model to an abstract:

"Those with degrees in math, science or technology rated the abstract with the tacked-on [math] as slightly lower-quality than the other."

I worry that this is just another example of science being poorly interpreted by media outlets. More importantly I'm not clear why I should be surprised that busy professors who don't have a close relationship with mathematics should be expected to evaluate an abstract (NOT a whole paper) less favorably because it includes a model.

We live in a world where the scientific method is more frequently under assault from parties who's interest lie in viewing it as mere opinion. This doesn't help.

Don't Let Math Pull the Wool Over Your Eyes

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