Reply to: Men more likely to leave sick partners

[Zippy]

WRCS

One of my favrouite rants is about how papers (or websites) can take a piece of speculative research and turn that into 'scientists say'. Not going to rant though ...

[RichardCranium]

Why are we discussing a Daily Mail article. Most journalists are thick as pig-tulip but the ones on the mail are ultra-cretinous.

That is a hell of a conclusion based on the presented evidence.

This is the Daily Mail that likes to classify everything into either causing or curing cancer.

I think the Daily Mail is a steaming pile of crap.

I am normally quite good at tracing the origins of these stories but I have got bored and stopped.

The newspapers that report this story online quote the Daily Mail as their source.

The Daily Mail provides neither the name of their journalist, nor the researchers, nor the date, nor whether the research was published. Merely "the researchers, from Washington University in Seattle". This could be one undergraduate's work that was so poor it resulted in the student being expelled from the Uni - we don't know and cannot tell.

There is no sign of a paper or press release from Washington University on the subject. Nor in any of the popular journals. So it may even be fiction.

You do not need to have read Dr Ben Goldacre's Bad Science to know:

The British media, and the Daily Mail in particular, should never be used as a source for science based stories.

[NickFitz]

What does the esteemed panel think?

I think the Daily Mail is a steaming pile of crap. It no longer even pretends to represent any form of responsible journalism; it merely seizes upon something, twists it around into a shape it thinks will please its readers after the manner of a childrens' entertainer making balloon animals, then glues on whatever other bits it feels necessary after the manner of a Blue Peter presenter making a toilet roll core into a model of the Cutty Sark.

I haven't even bothered reading the story you linked to because it would be a waste of my retinas. If I were to bother going back to the original sources on which they based their "story" I have no doubt they would not justify the DM's take on things in any way, shape or form.

The DM has long since gone beyond shoddy journalism into the realms of pure fiction, bolstered by distortion of what few facts they rely on, specious exaggeration, blatantly ignoring contradictory truths, and a healthy dose of pandering to their readers' prejudices. If you take what they publish seriously, you make a fool of yourself.

If you bought a paper copy, you should ask for your money back under the Sale of Goods Act, as the product is clearly not fit for its declared purpose as a newspaper - unless you want to wrap fish in the traditional manner.

[Bagpuss]

This is the Daily Mail that likes to clasify everything into either causing or curing cancer. However, in recent months they have had coffee as both causing and curing cancer. They don't really understand what a confounding factor is nor do their readers. Nor do they understand the principle of good experimental design.

[Jeebo72]

Dail Mail

I think that's broadly true, and ditto he is more likely to disappear or engineer a divorce if she turns ugly, but I don't think this tells the whole story. True, as a Daily Mail expert paraphraser concluded "a woman is better at standing by her man than vice versa", in cases of illness or ugliness perhaps, but I don't think a woman would stick by a man who has lost all his money. Whereas a man would stick by a poor woman if she has nice n****s and is up for a bit of ^$$^%$£%$ing.

What does the esteemed panel think?

If a man gets the chance with a younger, better looking model he often does. Loses all his money in the divorce settlement with it. Woman are just better at hidding it...

...

[The Lone Gunman]

That is a hell of a conclusion based on the presented evidence.
There are other possibilities other than the bloke ran away.

[sweetandsour]

In fact it will be more of a benefit
Less cooking, washing, cleaning etc... for her to do

Too right! lol.

[TimberWolf]

Let's face it, men make pretty crap carers so it is not going to be much of a loss for the women is it?

I agree. What are 'male' nurses like?

[sasguru]

Why are we discussing a Daily Mail article. Most journalists are thick as pig-tulip but the ones on the mail are ultra-cretinous.

[Spacecadet]

Let's face it, men make pretty crap carers so it is not going to be much of a loss for the women is it?

In fact it will be more of a benefit
Less cooking, washing, cleaning etc... for her to do

[Menelaus]

Maybe she's a lesbian?

Pretty sure she's not.

[sweetandsour]

Let's face it, men make pretty crap carers so it is not going to be much of a loss for the women is it?

[TimberWolf]

Bollocks.

My wife left me when I was sick.

Maybe she's a lesbian?

[Zippy]

It sounds about right although I'm as shallow as the next man.

[Menelaus]

Bollocks.

My wife left me when I was sick.