This funny parachute study shows exactly how anti-vaxxers twist the data
One of the common tropes of the anti-vaxxer movement is that old chestnut “Do your own research.”, but they clearly don’t mean “Set up a study, draw conclusions, get it published and peer reviewed.”
What they actually mean is “Watch a bunch of YouTube videos and read these memes I saw on Facebook.”
Those YouTube videos sometimes contain data that could be very credible at a glance, and that’s how people end up down the anti-vax rabbit hole. Well, that and by watching interviews with tennis players. Who knew?
Over on TikTok, Maddy Lucy Dann – Emergency Department doctor and comedian – has found a way to explain how people twist data to their own purposes, and it’s both funny and fascinating.
@maddylucydann Selective statistics and misinformation. Search BMJ parachute 2003 to read the full study!
“In conclusion, parachute use did not reduce death or major traumatic injury, when jumping from the aircraft in the first randomised evaluation of this intervention.”
In this follow-up video, Maddy explains why it’s even worse when the facts being twisted aren’t quite as extreme as saying that parachutes aren’t useful.
@maddylucydann Reply to @maddylucydann ♬ original sound – Maddy
TikTok users loved her analogy – and the parody study.
A TikTok user named eoghanwinchcombe1 had this perfect parody of anti-vax logic.
If you want to read the parachute study – which is very funny – you can do that here, and be sure to follow Maddy so you’ll never miss her entertaining videos.
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A 2-year-old clip of Joe Rogan shows him calling anti-vaxxers “wackos”
Source Maddy Lucy Dann Image Screengrab
