Study: A Ford Escort will accelerate at more than twice the speed of a Ferrari F-50

According to a study performed by the Michigan Institute of Engineering last fall, a Ford Escort's acceleration capability exceeds that of many expensive sports cars. A few key phrases from the study follow:
1. "Despite conventional wisdom, the Ferrari took 2.34 times longer to reach 30 MPH than the Escort and a shocking 3.45 times longer in the quarter mile race."
2. "Beyond those stats, drivers consistently said that the Escort also handled better at every speed."
3. "It's clear to us that a Ford Escort with 4 wheels is a much better buy for a customer seeking performance than a Ferrari F-50 with 2."

Okay, yes, I made this study up (I'm not even sure if the Michigan Institute of Engineering exists). However, studies of this style are disturbingly common. In fact, I just read one today: Study: Single Parents May Do as Well as Two

The headline is effective in making people believe that the study showed that a stable, two-parent household isn't significantly superior to a single-parent house, in defiance of common sense.

However, if you actually read the article, the comparison is between a single parent who stays single vs. one who starts single but starts shacking up or going through failed marriages. In other words, the study started with a headline that's meant to surprise people but moves to actual details that anybody with half a brain already knew. Basically, it follows the exact same format as my car study above.

Okay, so readers of this blog might wonder: "How does that apply to programming or game development?" Well, this is kind of a stretch, but it applies to everything. The point of this post is to tell people: "Think", "Use your brain", and "Don't blindly trust the 'experts'". The world around you is teaching you to shut off your brain as movies get stupider, schools replace problem solving with rote memorization, and people who dare question the 'experts' are ridiculed.

Take a little time every day to shut off all of your machines and think. Make a point of reading material that challenges your current points of view. Learn to listen and understand before you even begin forming your response. That way lies wisdom, and we can all use more of that.