Wednesday, 29 July 2009

Missing figures round ...

The widely reported statistic, that Sunbeds raise cancer risk by 75% (even assuming it to be correct) is of course meaningless unless you know what the actual cancer risks are, with and without using a sunbed.

As I like to say, the chances of you being hit by a meteorite are increased by several million per cent every time you leave a building and go outside.

5 comments:

Unknown said...

Of course that font of truth and wisdom, the British Bullshit Corporation aka the BBC would spin it to link smoking with sunbeds and asbestos

I now wear a tinfoil hat when reading the 'news'.

There are lies, damn lies and...

Anonymous said...

Whilst the gist of your post is quite correct, there is the small fact that most meteorites wouldn't be stopped by your roof, therefore you have the same chance of being struck by one in your bed, at the office or our out on the street... (Assuming you don't work at NORAD!)

:)

Z.

Mark Wadsworth said...

Z, "most"?

Most of them are tiny as they burn up on the way down.

To the best of my knowledge, a dog was killed by a meteorite in Egypt in 1911 and there was a lady a few years ago hit on the arm while hanging up her washing.

With the possible exception of this, I'm not aware of a meteorite ever having crashed through a roof.

Scott Freeman said...

Beat me to it.

They also tout that 75% increase without, unless you read well into a text article on their website, qualifying that it only applies to people who started regularly using them before they were 30.

Cornishgiant said...

Well yes, it's the difference between absolute risk reduction and relative risk reduction. Bot h have their place, no doubt, unfortunately the place if one is mainly in the tabloid headlines