A man stole an airplane from Seattle's airport and crash-landed it, killing himself. One local news outlet suggested that it wasn't really his fault because he had CTE from playing high school football. This is sheer nonsense.
Mental Health & Society
America's worst drivers are likelier to be men or people who live in the South, are either young or old, or identify as Native American. America's best drivers are likelier to be women or people who live in the Northeast, are aged 35 to 75, or identify as Asian.
We have uncovered another gender disparity, not work or pay, but in beliefs about the afterlife and what awaits.
Phobias are associated with various mental health issues. The strongest associations were with anxiety disorders, panic disorders, and social phobia. This does not mean that phobias cause these other problems (or vice versa), but simply that if a person has a phobia, he or she is likelier to experience other mental health issues, as well.
The game, Clue Master Detective, requires eight potential weapons. The CDC finds two are the most popular.
A recent study was published estimating that killings of unarmed black Americans contribute to an excess of 55 million poor mental health days per year. Is this estimation accurate?
In science and health, we are often looking for results that are considered to be “statistically significant.” The golden rule is if the p-value is less than 0.05, then the result is statistically significant, or “publishable.” However, the interpretation and use of p-values is often misconstrued.
What is a p-value?
A p-value is the probability of observing a test statistic as extreme as the data shows, given that the null hypothesis is true. It does NOT tell you what the probability of the hypothesis is given the data. Confusing these two is equivalent to mixing up “given that someone is Catholic, what is the probability that they are the Pope?” and “given that someone is the Pope, what is the probability that they are Catholic?”
Soccer goalies usually dive to their left or right during a penalty kick. That's despite the fact that the statistically-best option is to stand in the middle of the goal. So why don't they? Because there is a strong bias toward "doing something."
Using a novel source of information – obituaries – researchers looked at whether religious affiliation could extend your physical existence on this planet. The short answer is yes. But is there more to it than simply faith?
Many people believe that scientists, who have the most knowledge on a particular topic, are often the least able to provide a straight answer. It happened in the early 1970s, when environmental activists claimed supersonic planes, like the Concorde SST, would punch a hole in the ozone layer. Which led to this famous quote by an exasperated U.S. Senator.
Now that the results of his posthumous brain examination are in, we now must add Jeff Parker, who played briefly in the 1980s and died last September at 53, to the running list of former hockey players who developed CTE during their careers. Everyone gets the link between head trauma and this devastating brain disease. Everyone, that is, except the head of the NHL.
When we discuss our "gun violence" and "suicide" epidemics in this country, these statistics should help clarify where public health and safety resources are best spent. Suicide disproportionately affects whites, while homicide disproportionately affects blacks.