A good reading on mold, science, and litigation

[Guest guest]

Mr. Havics:

Your information was squarely on the mark, and points to a logical fallacy that is often committed even by those who ostensibly should know better. I once went up against a government chap whose motto regarding cause and effect was:

<I>The absence of evidence is not the same thing as the evidence of absence.</I>

This type of motto underscores a fundamental lack of understanding of the scientific process wherein the absence of evidence during certain kinds of legitimate hypothesis testing is the ONLY evidence of absence one will have upon which to reject the hypothesis (where the opposite would require proving a negative).

In my opinion, it is reliance on this fallacy that marks the division of understanding between scientists and the general public, manifest in such documents as the IOM Damp Indoor Spaces and Health; wherein scientists read that document and understand what is being said, but those who desperately want to believe in toxic moulds and their many mythical maladies, read the same document and come away with a completely different interpretation of what has been said.

It's not so much a war of words, but a question of scientific presentations being prepared for scientists, by scientists, but received by those lacking scientific training. The flip side is that the conclusions could certainly be put in "lay-man's" terms, but only at the expense of precision … and who wants that? Or worse, presented both ways, which would then lend the appearance of out right conflicting conclusions.

The solution? Education, education, education.

Cheers,

Caoimhín P. Connell

Forensic Industrial Hygienist

www.forensic-applications.com

<SMALL> (The opinions expressed here are exclusively my personal opinions and do not necessarily reflect my professional opinion, opinion of my employer, agency, peers, or professional affiliates. The above post is for information only and does not reflect professional advice and is not intended to supercede the professional advice of others.)

AMDG </SMALL>