On Mon, 7 Feb 2000, Jim Hodges wrote:
> Years ago, I heard that RA Fisher, late in his life, had been commissioned
> by the British tobacco industry to write a piece about smoking and cancer.
> ....... Does anyone know where I can find this
> piece Fisher allegedly wrote?
I suspect the following reference is pertinent, though I don't have a copy
to hand and have never read it, so I can't comment informedly on either
the background or the contents. Perhaps some else can enlighten us.
Fisher RA. Dangers of cigarette smoking. Brit Med J 1957;2:297-298.
The title at least is suggestive, and I strongly suspect that Fisher would
have expressed some reservations about interpreting simple correlations.
My Ph.D. supervisor (long ago) used to point out that although both water
melons and umbrellas are common in such places as S.E. Asia, it would be
unsafe to suppose that umbrellas are used for protection when it is
raining melons!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Paul Callow, M.A., Ph.D. Phone 01223-335468 (direct)
University of Cambridge Computing Service 01223-334600 (switchboard)
New Museums Site, Pembroke St, Fax 01223-334679
Cambridge CB2 3QG E-mail [log in to unmask]
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
|