The National Football League has taken the problem of concussions seriously, by promising to complete a study that will almost certainly downplay the problem. By seriously, I mean, of course, covering it up. Thus far, its on-going study has few fans outside of the NFL.
Every independent expert in epidemiology and neurology contacted by The New York Times cited at least one of the following issues: that the study’s paucity of subjects will leave it unable to find any statistically significant difference in dementia rates; that a study financed by the N.F.L. and run by its committee doctors cannot be considered trustworthy; and that Dr. Ira Casson, the league’s primary voice in discrediting all outside evidence, should not personally be conducting all of the neurological examinations.
“The design suffers from a total lack of statistical power to detect an effect if one truly exists,” Borenstein said.
So, I wonder what the odds in Vegas are of the NFL convincing people that Gladwell was wrong.
Gladwell's article was great. Just bought his new book (though, I've already read many of the pieces within).
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