Twisted science happens when politics drives the results. Makes the truth go to the dark side.
But what is a scientist to do when their funding comes from a corporation, person, or political organization?
Fiddle with the statistics, of course. Because if you fiddle enough, maybe, you get the results your benefactor/captor wants.
The most recent example of this comes from Florida and is related to COVID, where the Florida Surgeon General released an analysis claiming “an increased risk of cardiac-related death among men 18-39” who take the COVID vaccine. To get that result, six different statistical analysis were run, with a lot of relevant information dropped between drafts, until the Florida governor and his Surgeon General got a result of “vaccination bad”. Your Local Epidemiologist released an article on 27 April 2023 on the “Evolution of Florida vaccine analysis.” It’s fascinating and frightening.
A stark reminder that while trusting Science is a good thing, reviewing the behind-the-scenes politics may also be required. From “herbal remedies” to “diet science” to “four out of five…,” truth gets twisted from the basic research. If, indeed, the research was even done according to the scientific peer-review method.
Fear, funding, and freedom all impact what science can reveal.
Bibliography
CDC.gov. “Flu Season.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (undated) https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/season/index.html#:~:text=(6%20seasons).-,When%20is%20flu%20season%20in%20the%20United%20States%3F,peaks%20between%20December%20and%20February. – last viewed 4/27/2023.
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. “The Roses of Success”. (1968)
Jetelina, Katelyn and Kristen Panthagani, MD, PhD. “Evolution of Florida vaccine analysis.” Your Local Epidemiologist. (April, 27, 2023) https://yourlocalepidemiologist.substack.com/p/evolution-of-florida-vaccine-analysis?utm_medium=email&fbclid=IwAR03IJq0RbPPvDKL_DQu6CQqR7o1xnbWa8GgYZy4BtnPo-syRwwTIoPFoKA – last viewed 4/27/2023.
Megan Ciafre. “Sith Lord Transformation”. (2023)
Nickelback. “She Keep Me Up.” (2015) – the words and music for “twisted trickster” sound bite