{"id":329647,"date":"2024-05-22T14:30:09","date_gmt":"2024-05-22T12:30:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=329647"},"modified":"2024-05-22T14:30:11","modified_gmt":"2024-05-22T12:30:11","slug":"oy-now-climate-change-triggers-migraines","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=329647","title":{"rendered":"Oy, Now Climate Change Triggers Migraines"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From Watts Up With That?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a delightful exercise of creative scientific storytelling, we have a\u00a0recent article suggesting that climate change is now responsible for triggering migraines.<\/a>\u00a0Yes, you read that correctly\u2014climate change, the ultimate scapegoat, is now allegedly making our heads hurt. The claim, published by Dr. Shiv Sudhakar in NBC News, offers a fantastical leap of logic that\u2019s as amusing as it is absurd. Let\u2019s dive into this narrative and see why it\u2019s a textbook example of non-causative correlation.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"
https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/health\/health-news\/climate-change-may-linked-rising-migraine-severity-frequency-americans-rcna150868<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

The Comedy of Correlation<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The article starts with a bold assertion: \u201cMigraines are increasing in frequency and intensity among Americans: Could climate change be a reason?\u201d It\u2019s a classic case of correlation masquerading as causation. Just because two things happen at the same time doesn\u2019t mean one causes the other. To illustrate, here are some other phenomena that have \u201cincreased\u201d over the same period:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. The Stock Market<\/strong>: The Dow Jones has soared, reaching record highs over the past decades. Should we then conclude that higher stock prices cause migraines?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Computer Speed<\/strong>: With processing speeds doubling every few years, perhaps faster CPUs are to blame for our pounding headaches.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Use of Mobile Phones<\/strong>: The ubiquitous smartphone has taken over our lives. Clearly, this must be the real migraine culprit.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Obesity Rates<\/strong>: As waistlines expand, so do the number of people complaining about migraines. Coincidence? I think not!<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. Use of the Term \u201cRacism\u201d<\/strong>: The frequency of this term in public discourse has skyrocketed. Surely, social justice awareness is giving us migraines.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  6. Drop in Marriage Among Young People<\/strong>: Less matrimony, more migraines. Could the lack of wedding bells be the real issue here?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  7. Netflix Subscriptions<\/strong>: Binge-watching might be rotting our brains and causing headaches, right?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  8. Gluten-Free Diets<\/strong>: As more people cut out gluten, migraine reports have apparently increased. Is gluten the unsung hero against migraines?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    More importantly according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), there is no evidence that severe weather events have increased in frequency, except some modest belief in increased heat waves. If the frequency of extreme weather hasn\u2019t demonstrably changed, then how exactly is climate change worsening migraines? It\u2019s a correlation to a fantasy.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n