Post #3374412

2026-06-18 10:30 UTC

@the_wub@mastodon.social @riley@toot.cat @Jumpmed@mastodon.social @poleguy@mastodon.social Back in 2003, the British Medical Journal published a tongue-in-cheek article in its end of year issue, pointing out that we couldn't evaluate how well parachutes worked because we didn't have a study that used placebo parachutes for people jumping out of planes: https://www.bmj.com/content/327/7429/1459

Replies (2)

@the_wub@mastodon.social 2026-06-18 10:48

@jeneralist@mstdn.science @riley@toot.cat @Jumpmed@mastodon.social @poleguy@mastodon.social Thanks. Great analogy. I will steal that for next time I meet one of the #guttosphere kids who start spouting nonsense. It is a subject close to my heart as my second born was a cancer patient for a couple of years - now doing fine (touch wood).

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@riley@toot.cat 2026-06-18 11:51

@jeneralist@mstdn.science Hey, that's just the first part of the joke. The 2018 Christmas issue published the follow-up: an actual trial. https://www.bmj.com/content/bmj/363/bmj.k5094.full.pdf Between September 2017 and August 2018, individuals were screened for inclusion in the PArticipation in RAndomized trials Compromised by widely Held beliefs aboUt lack of Treatment Equipoise (PARACHUTE) trial. Prospective participants were approached and screened by study investigators on commercial or private aircraft. [...] @the_wub@mastodon.social @Jumpmed@mastodon.social @poleguy@mastodon.social

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