Holiday Survival Guide: How to talk about scientific studies around the dinner table

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

Writing in the Sciences

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?
• (21:41) - Boring non-placeb
• (32:29) - Kristin’s SMART mnemonic
• (38:15) - How big of an effect?
• (49:29) - Two science journalists walk into a bar
• (55:43) - Martini scale and wrap-up