Category Archives: Dubious statistics

Alzheimer’s: How Not to Study a Disease

KLG returns to why the discredited amyloid thesis as the cause of Alzheimer’s nevertheless persists.

OK, Forget it, False Alarm, Labor Market Is Fine, Bad Stuff Last Month Was Revised Away, Wages Jumped. No More Rate Cuts Needed?

New and revised labor market data suddenly says the US economy is just fine. Mr. Market’s continued rate cuts look off the table for now.

The Fed and the “Soft Landing” – Policy or Luck?

The Fed has little to do with the fall in inflation. Limited labor bargaining power and easing supply chain problems were more important.

Diet-Related Diseases Are the No. 1 Cause of Death in the US – Yet Many Doctors Receive Little to No Nutrition Education in Med School

An exhortation for doctors to get more nutrition education so they can advise patients on diet. But is that as simple as it seems?

Days After Rate Cut, S&P’s Flash PMI Sees Rising Inflation and Exhorts the Fed to “Move Cautiously” with “Further Rate Cuts”

S&P: “The “reacceleration of inflation” suggests “the Fed cannot totally shift its focus away from its inflation target.”

Big Oil to Benefit From Biden’s Carbon Capture Tax Credits: Report

How carbon capture tax credits funnel billions to the oil and gas industry while delivering few if any climate benefits.

‘The Data on Extreme Human Ageing Is Rotten from the Inside Out’ – Ig Nobel Winner Saul Justin Newman

Some myths bite the dust, here related to the number who live to be over 100. Not surprisingly, the cause is crappy data.

Official US Poverty Rate Declined in 2023, but More People Faced Economic Hardship

The arguably better official measure of US poverty says the poor are getting poorer.

No Solid Scientific Basis for Degrowth

Two economists depict degrowth studies as analytically weak and advocating political infeasible ideas.

Wall Street Journal Tries to Analyze Not-Great Data on US Immigration, Generating Reader Pushback

An attempt by the Wall Street Journal to mine data on immigration falls short by not providing strong enough caveats.

The Rat Race for Research Funding Delays Scientific Progress

How bad incentives and funders’ love of glitz lead to poor scientific research outcomes and demotivated academics.

The Irrationality of Markets

More evidence that the current level of advanced economy secondary market trading is bad for economic health.

Despite the Recession-Emergency-Rate-Cut Buffoonery, the Services Sector Expands Strongly on Growth in New Orders & Employment. Inflation Pressures Still On

Services are two-thirds of the economy; as long as they’re firm, the economy will plug along just fine, even as manufacturing stalled