Comments on: Don’t let the facts spoil a good story http://www.badscience.net/2008/09/dont-let-the-facts-spoil-a-good-story/ Ben Goldacre's Bad Science column from the Guardian and more... Fri, 10 Feb 2012 11:24:40 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: paladin http://www.badscience.net/2008/09/dont-let-the-facts-spoil-a-good-story/comment-page-1/#comment-28945 paladin Wed, 18 Nov 2009 19:19:22 +0000 http://www.badscience.net/2008/09/dont-let-the-facts-spoil-a-good-story/#comment-28945 Yeah I know what you mean (referring to the last paragraph); recently my mom saw an advertisment (some mint candy) which depicted a polar bear out in the sun in a zoo desperate for the cooling candy (I mean seriously!), anyway, my mum goes..."global warming". Yeah I know what you mean (referring to the last paragraph); recently my mom saw an advertisment (some mint candy) which depicted a polar bear out in the sun in a zoo desperate for the cooling candy (I mean seriously!), anyway, my mum goes…”global warming”.

]]> By: FlammableFlower http://www.badscience.net/2008/09/dont-let-the-facts-spoil-a-good-story/comment-page-1/#comment-22314 FlammableFlower Mon, 22 Sep 2008 12:39:24 +0000 http://www.badscience.net/2008/09/dont-let-the-facts-spoil-a-good-story/#comment-22314 Quote:"If you’re an academic and your work has been “grossly and crassly misrepresented” by the newspapers, then I’m always very pleased to hear from you." Watch out - you could find yourself very, very busy. Quote:”If you’re an academic and your work has been “grossly and crassly misrepresented” by the newspapers, then I’m always very pleased to hear from you.” Watch out – you could find yourself very, very busy.

]]> By: AndyGilmour http://www.badscience.net/2008/09/dont-let-the-facts-spoil-a-good-story/comment-page-1/#comment-22291 AndyGilmour Sat, 20 Sep 2008 13:28:48 +0000 http://www.badscience.net/2008/09/dont-let-the-facts-spoil-a-good-story/#comment-22291 I don't count as an academic either, and it's not strictly about "academic publishing", but a looong time ago a friend of mine was stitched-up beautifully by "The Sun"...which might amuse..? "Lady Di" (back when she was still firmly married to 'His Royal Faithness') was visiting the Royal Blind School in Edinburgh. My chum, being an upstanding "independent school" pupil, hung the Soviet flag from his bedroom window, clearly visible from the school. The police 'requested' its removal, and a reporter who'd spotted this incredibly minor incident, came over and had a brief chat with him, accompanied by a photographer. My mate, being a naive sort back then, blethered away merrily, and thought nothing of it... Until he was pictured (looking as 'angry' as they could get - he'd been squinting into the light) in the next day's "soaraway" Sun above a highly sensationalised account of the "violent commie threat to royals" - complete with a large tattooed forearm and menacing clenched fist...neither of which, strangely enough, were his. Still, he ended up being a press officer, and got his revenge by manipulating the buggers something rotten... I don’t count as an academic either, and it’s not strictly about “academic publishing”, but a looong time ago a friend of mine was stitched-up beautifully by “The Sun”…which might amuse..?

“Lady Di” (back when she was still firmly married to ‘His Royal Faithness’) was visiting the Royal Blind School in Edinburgh. My chum, being an upstanding “independent school” pupil, hung the Soviet flag from his bedroom window, clearly visible from the school. The police ‘requested’ its removal, and a reporter who’d spotted this incredibly minor incident, came over and had a brief chat with him, accompanied by a photographer.

My mate, being a naive sort back then, blethered away merrily, and thought nothing of it…

Until he was pictured (looking as ‘angry’ as they could get – he’d been squinting into the light) in the next day’s “soaraway” Sun above a highly sensationalised account of the “violent commie threat to royals” – complete with a large tattooed forearm and menacing clenched fist…neither of which, strangely enough, were his.

Still, he ended up being a press officer, and got his revenge by manipulating the buggers something rotten…

]]> By: heavens http://www.badscience.net/2008/09/dont-let-the-facts-spoil-a-good-story/comment-page-1/#comment-22286 heavens Fri, 19 Sep 2008 20:48:40 +0000 http://www.badscience.net/2008/09/dont-let-the-facts-spoil-a-good-story/#comment-22286 I don't count as an academic, but I once had a discussion about a very, very early prototype of a possible future therapeutic turned into "currently awaiting FDA approval" by a headline writer. That was a few years ago, and I'll bet that the (revised) protein is still at least six years away from that stage. I don’t count as an academic, but I once had a discussion about a very, very early prototype of a possible future therapeutic turned into “currently awaiting FDA approval” by a headline writer.

That was a few years ago, and I’ll bet that the (revised) protein is still at least six years away from that stage.

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