Mar 29 2018

What are false positives?

44 min 4 movies discussed
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When getting a medical diagnosis, it's important to understand the terms. Negative is good, positive is bad, false positive is great in a way, but false negative is the worst. Learn all about false positives, when your tests indicate you have a disease of some kind when you don't, and what this means in the medical community at large.

AI Summary

# False Positives in Medical Testing

Josh and Chuck dive into the surprisingly complex world of medical testing and false positives, exploring why a test that's 99% accurate doesn't mean you have a 99% chance of having the condition it detected. They break down the eye-opening statistics behind mammograms, colonoscopies, and drug tests, revealing how common false positives actually are and the real human costs—from unnecessary surgeries and anxiety to missed job opportunities. Along the way, they discuss the "Choosing Wisely" campaign that's trying to reduce unnecessary testing and explain why sometimes the cure for medical anxiety might be worse than the disease itself.


Movies Discussed

Ferris Bueller's Day Off
Ferris Bueller's Day Off
1986 1h 43m
★ 7.6
"Todd's winking at the camera and breaks the fourth wall and winks at the camera, Ferris Bueller style. — Josh references the famous fourth wall break from Ferris Bueller's Day Off when describing a hypothetical scenario." — Josh
Melrose Place
Melrose Place
1992 TV-14
★ 5.8
"Was he a character on Melrose Place? I think so, he's a pool cleaner. — Chuck jokingly asks if Billy Bayes was a character on Melrose Place, making a humorous reference to the show." — Chuck
Seinfeld
Seinfeld
1989
★ 8.3
"So remember that Seinfeld where I think Elaine was supposed to go on a J. Peterman trip, but she got disinvited because she turned up positive for heroin. — Josh references a Seinfeld episode about Elaine testing positive for heroin due to eating poppy seed muffins." — Josh
The Wire
The Wire
2002
★ 8.6
"Remember that show, The Wire, have you ever heard of it? — Josh references the show while discussing how characters used the phrase 'real police' in a similar way to how they use 'real podcaster.'" — Josh

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