When the Incidence of a Condition Called "Morgellons" Seemed to Be

question 45

Multiple Choice

When the incidence of a condition called "Morgellons" seemed to be increasing, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) conducted research that found no evidence of such infections actually taking place. Soon after, the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota conducted similar research and obtained nearly identical findings. As it turned out, most people who thought they had Morgellons had very simple skin conditions, or no condition at all. The repetition of the CDC's research that was used to support the findings is crucial to critical thinking, in a principle called

• A)ruling out rival hypotheses.
• B)correlation versus causation.
• C)replicability.
• D)Occam's Razor.

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Definitions:

Coccyx

The small, triangular bone at the base of the vertebral column in humans, formed from fused vertebrae and often referred to as the tailbone.

Atlas

The first cervical vertebra of the spine, supporting the globe of the head and forming the joint connecting the skull and spine.

Anterior Fontanel

The largest soft spot on a baby's skull, which allows for growth of the brain and skull during an infant's first year.

Mastoid Process

A bony prominence located behind the ear, part of the temporal bone, and serves as an attachment point for muscles.