Thursdays, February 2nd-23rd || 7:00-9:00pm
Taborspace || 5441 SE Belmont
4 weeks, $99 || Limited to 25 students || Scholarships Available

We are bombarded with claims that medications, special diets, equipment, and personal treatments can improve our health, looks, and lifespan.  How can we wade through it and end up with something useful?  This class will cover basic concepts and methods, offering guidelines on how to evaluate what’s out there, tips on spotting bad science, and maybe even some insight into how our brains work.

Week 1: Learning the Lingo

• Definitions and concepts

• How we perceive things: bias (it doesn’t make you a bad person)

Week 2: So What? How we evaluate research

• Correlation vs. causation

• Statistical vs. clinical significance

• How to spot bad science

• Trustworthy resources

Week 3: Applications

• Fighting our brains: how we perceive

• Participants review and discuss pre-assigned papers, selected for providing clear examples of principles discussed in first two sessions

Week 4: Participants Do the Teaching

• In groups, participants review and present their conclusions to the rest of the class

• Wrap-up: how to stay engaged

Jeff Rubin is emergency manager for Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue. Jeff has a BS from Yale University, an MA and PhD from University of Texas at Austin, and is a recovering research scientist. He teaches research and evaluation methods at Oregon Tech, and believes that science is way too important to be restricted to scientists.