Please excuse the digression from the immediate issues of beekeeping but participants on this list frequently get into questions about the determination of scientific consensus.  The New York Times published an article today that is very worthwhile reading for all of us.  The article describes the history of the decision that low-fat diets are intrinsically healthier than high-fat diets but also describes some studies on information bias.  Significant observations for me were:
  1) whichever position is expressed first is likely to determine the outcome
  2) even if the majority of participants have data leading to the right answer (by a 60/40 ratio), there is a 1/3 chance that the group will still reach the wrong answer
  3) social pressures on dissenters make if far harder to reach the right answer.
   
  The article can be found at:
  http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/09/science/09tier.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1&ref=todayspaper
   


Mike Rossander
       
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