Name: Battling bad science
Uploaded: 2011-09-29T15:20:49Z
Duration: 14 min 2 s
Description: Every day there are news reports of new health advice, but how can you know if they're right? Doctor and epidemiologist Ben Goldacre shows us, at high speed, the ways evidence can be distorted, from the blindingly obvious nutrition claims to the very subtle tricks of the pharmaceutical industry.

Ben Goldacre: Battling bad science

Battling bad science

Every day there are news reports of new health advice, but how can you know if they're right? Doctor and epidemiologist Ben Goldacre shows us, at high speed, the ways evidence can be distorted, from the blindingly obvious nutrition claims to the very subtle tricks of the pharmaceutical industry.

Most health headlines are built on shaky or distorted evidence, often twisting real science into misleading claims. From coffee causing and preventing cancer to billion-dollar drug decisions based on incomplete data, unreliable methods shape public understanding and policy. Behind the curtain, withheld clinical trial results and clever trial design tricks can make ineffective treatments appear effective. Only by exposing these flaws and demanding all the evidence can real progress happen.