Re: OT - googling for barometric pressure

Julia Altshuler wrote:
FurPaw wrote:

It's not uncommon that different results are found between controlled studies and anecdotal reports.

The problem with anecdotal reports is that when people are looking for data to confirm one of their hypotheses ("I ache when the pressure is low"), they are more likely to notice the coinciding events that confirm the hypothesis ("low pressure" and "ache").

People are less likely to notice that they ache sometimes when the pressure is high, or to notice those times when the pressure is low and they don't ache, or when the pressure is high and they don't ache.

Ache
Pressure Yes No
Low x ?
High ? ?

A controlled study will test all four conditions in this matrix, and when this is done, the apparent correlation often (not always) breaks down.


Yup. Yup. Yup. For some time now, I've been noting when I hurt. Now I want to check old weather data to see if there's a correlation. While I find it interesting, it's irrelevant unless I can figure out a way to control conditions so I'm not in pain. I figured that accurate information was the place to start.

That's a good way to go about it.

FurPaw


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