Remember when science used to be, well, a science? Now it seems as if scientific reports are little more than flim-flam jobs. Take today’s report on the link between prostate cancer and multivitamin intake:
Men taking multi-vitamin supplements often may increase their risk of death from prostate cancer, according to a new study published in the May 16 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
But experts caution that the study could not establish a causal relation between the risk and use of multivitamins, meaning multivitamin use does not necessarily raise the death risk associated with prostate cancer.
In other words: scientists made money reporting absolutely nothing.
Friday, May 18th, 2007, 12:43 pm | 
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May 18, 2007 at 1:25 pm
It also means that these Journals are the National Enquirers of the science set.
May 18, 2007 at 5:05 pm
Not necessarily. It could be a higher correlation between the two. You can’t ethically study causation in something like this. There was a mathematical relationship established, just not causational. What’s it mean? Further research. That’s how it’s supposed to work.
May 20, 2007 at 12:02 am
This ranks right up there with “All people who eat carets are (eventually) going to DIE!!” A true statement, but hardly one which should stop you from eating carets. The Journal of the National Cancer Institute’s unprofessional release, of what is at best unfinished scientific study/research, and at worst plain ol’ garden variety crap posing as science, should be no surprise these days. What with science by consensus being the norm and all.