Holiday Survival Guide: How to talk about scientific studies around the dinner table
Normal Curves: Sexy Science, Serious Statistics · Regina Nuzzo and Kristin Sainani
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Show Notes
Does a little alcohol really make you speak a foreign language better? This week we unpack a quirky randomized trial that tested Dutch pronunciation after a modest buzz—and came to the opposite conclusion the researchers expected. We use it as the perfect holiday case study: instead of arguing with Uncle Joe at the dinner table, we’ll show you how to pull apart a scientific headline using a friendly, practical checklist anyone can learn. Along the way we stress-test the study’s claims, take a quick detour into what a .04% buzz actually looks like, and run our own before-and-after experiment with two brave science journalists at the ScienceWriters2025 conference in Chicago. A holiday survival guide with vodka tonics, statistical sleuthing, and a few surprisingly smooth French phrases.
Statistical topics
- Alternative explanations
- Arithmetic consistency / GRIM test
- Blinding
- Effect size / magnitude
- Generalizability / external validity
- Observational studies vs. experiments
- Outcome measurement
- PICOT framework
- Placebo and expectancy effects
- Primary outcomes / pre-specification
- Randomized controlled trials
- Research hypotheses
- Sample size
- SMART framework
- Statistical significance (signal vs. noise)
- Transparency and trustworthiness
Methodological morals
- “You don't need a PhD to read a study. Just remember, PICOT and SMART.”
- “A decimal point can mean the difference between life and death. Details matter.”
References
- Renner F, Kersbergen I, Field M, Werthmann J. Dutch courage? Effects of acute alcohol consumption on self-ratings and observer ratings of foreign language skills. J Psychopharmacol. 2018;32(1):116-122. doi:10.1177/0269881117735687
Kristin and Regina’s online courses:
Demystifying Data: A Modern Approach to Statistical Understanding
Clinical Trials: Design, Strategy, and Analysis
Medical Statistics Certificate Program
Epidemiology and Clinical Research Graduate Certificate Program
Programs that we teach in:
Epidemiology and Clinical Research Graduate Certificate Program
Find us on:
Kristin - LinkedIn & Twitter/X
Regina - LinkedIn & ReginaNuzzo.com
- (00:00) - Intro
- (03:30) - Uncle Joe and the question of alcohol
- (07:20) - Randomized controlled trial
- (10:10) - PICOT mnemonic
- (15:43) - Just how drunk?
- (22:25) - Boring non-placeb
- (33:13) - Kristin’s SMART mnemonic
- (39:32) - How big of an effect?
- (50:46) - Two science journalists walk into a bar
- (57:00) - Martini scale and wrap-up