In this page

§1 Choosing what to write about
§2 Reading the sources
§3 Weighing the evidence
§4 Where AI fits in
§5 Money and conflicts
§6 When I get it wrong

§1 Choosing what to write about

A claim earns a Memo when it’s everywhere and a reader might actually act on it.

Something repeated with total confidence: a headline, a habit rule, a label, a number everyone quotes. I write about claims, studies and ideas, not about individual people whose living depends on them. And I never write about patients, cases or anyone I know personally, even with the details changed.

§2 Reading the sources

The study, not the article about the study.

Numbers, dates and quotes get traced back to where they started: the paper, the guideline, the label, the original interview. If I can’t trace something, I cut it or say plainly that the evidence is thin. The sources are linked as I go, so you can check them yourself.

The first thing I look for is a definition mismatch. A study defines its key word one way, the headline uses it another, and that one swap is often the whole story.

§3 Weighing the evidence

Different words for different levels of sure.

“Trials show” means randomized trials show it. “The evidence points toward” means it’s suggestive but not settled. “My read is” means it’s my opinion, labelled as one. Observational studies show that two things travel together. They don’t show that one causes the other, and I’ll say so rather than hint at it.

Sometimes I try something on myself and write about it. That’s one person with no control group, and it’s labelled that way every time. I only do it with things anyone can legally buy: sleep, light, caffeine, exercise, over-the-counter supplements. Never a prescription drug.

§4 Where AI fits in

The machine finds and flags. I decide and write.

I use AI tools for the grunt work: finding sources, pulling out the passages that matter, checking that links and quotes match what they point to, and flagging sentences that claim more than the study does. I choose what to write about, read every flag, write and edit every piece, and nothing goes up until I’ve read the sources myself.

§5 Money and conflicts

Nothing here is for sale.

There are no ads, sponsored posts or affiliate links. If that ever changes, this page changes first, and anything paid gets marked where it appears.

§6 When I get it wrong

Corrections go at the top, dated, in the open.

The correction says what was wrong and when it was fixed, and it’s listed on the corrections page. If you’ve spotted something, tell me. You’ll hear back within 48 hours, even if the answer is “you might be right, I’m checking.”