When Saturday comes

As a Tottenham Hotspur supporter, Saturdays have been pretty grim of late. But Ben Goldacre's Bad Science article in Saturday's Guardian always provides some light relief.  Apart from cheering me up, what really excites me about these articles – and all the related blogs on good/bad science – is the way that Ben manages to make the science understandable, and the fact that there is a real interest and engagement in science.  Take his articles on fish oils, or the response to the FSA-funded work on food colours and behavioural effects in children.  It is fantastic to see public debate on complex issues of study designs and interpretation of what the science should mean for policy development.  This is our bread and butter in the Agency – but getting enthusiastic public engagement is a real step forward.  Science thrives on the basis of open criticism of ideas and studies. Indeed, it would not progress without it. 

Of course, there is a very serious element to this as people want to know what's safe and healthy to feed their kids or whether to vaccinate them.  So de-bunking bad science is a very worthwhile activity as it might make people think twice about the evidence base before spending money on pills instead of good food.  And if you can make people laugh at the same time, even better.

So keep up the good work Ben; I need all the laughs I can get.