We’ve all read headlines like this: “Late-night snacks are bad for your brain.” “A new study shows pizza is the most addictive food.” “Drinking a glass of wine is just as good as spending an hour at the gym.” These soundbites are on morning television, in magazines of every subject matter, and clogging your FB feed. They’re even scrolling across the little television screens installed in the elevators of my office building.

We know, deep down, that drinking a glass of wine is not the same as an hour at the gym. Why do media outlets report untrue or incomplete information as science? Since apparently it is unrealistic to expect them to curate scientific studies  with integrity, we have to start by opening the conversation.

Just prefacing a soundbite with “a new study shows…” should not cut it.  I encourage you to watch this clip from John Oliver’s show Last Week Tonight. (It’s HBO, so it’s a bit sassy and irreverent. Watch the volume.)  Dumbing down the science to an attention-grabbing, and often incorrect, headline is doing us all a big disservice.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Rnq1NpHdmw?rel=0&w=560&h=315]

 

On a lighter note, has anyone tried this new app called Hyperlapse from Instagram? It allows you to take time lapse videos. Of course the sample clip with the dog digging in the sand made me smile.

Here is an app I can recommend: SkyView. The app uses your phone’s camera to superimpose the constellations on the night sky. It knows where you are in the world and, based on the date and time, knows what stars will be visible in your area. Point your camera toward the sky and hover over a star. The app will tell you the name of the star, the constellation or asterism, and the type of star. I’ve been loving it!

I am a closet blueberry muffin addict. This recipe from Joy the Baker is one of the best.

Who is going to watch Doctor Thorne? Yes, please. It’s a three-part miniseries from Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes based on an Anthony Trollope novel. Ian McShane has a small role.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1Yr1S0CrKE&w=560&h=315]

Have a great weekend, everyone! 

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