Things That Apparently Cause Cancer
The author critiques a series of Harvard studies that link proximity to nuclear power plants with increased cancer rates. By applying the same methodology to other landmarks like Costco and baseball fields, the author argues the original research is statistically flawed.
Why it matters
Highlights the importance of rigorous statistical methodology in public health research and challenges potentially misleading scientific claims.
55 3 15 Share It would shock you to know that Costco, according to a new Harvard School of Public Health methodology, caused 120,687 cases of cancer mortality nationally every year, simply due to living in close proximity to their warehouses. Private colleges accounted for 83,782 more. Harvard itself is responsible for 5,842 cancer deaths. Living near a Major League Baseball field causes almost 19 times as many cancer deaths as living near a Major League Soccer pitch. These conclusions are obviously absurd, but they come from the exact same methodology that researchers at Harvard use to “prove” that nuclear power plants cause cancer in nearby communities.
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