Would masculinizing hurricane names save lives?

The question may seem bizarre, but that's what the authors of a scientific study propose. After six rounds of surveys, they concluded that people consider hurricanes with masculine names to be more aggressive than those with feminine names and, therefore, take greater protective measures. I learned about the controversy, by the way, thanks to the brilliant author. newsletter From Hey Sherman to Substack: Follow her for a weekly dose of wit and sharp observations on delightfully interesting topics. random. The fact is that, as expected, the issue has generated passionate debate. Critics point out some methodological flaws and discuss their sample. They also believe that since before 1979 all hurricanes had female names—since then they have alternated—this causes a bias because the number of fatalities has been decreasing as infrastructure has improved. The authors of the study have refuted some of the objections and, after reading them, the feeling you are left with is that the name has an impact on perception, but that linking the gender The impact of a hurricane on its mortality rate is very bold, considering that many other factors come into play each time one occurs.

I explain this because, in the media, the dynamic pushes us to cling to the eye-catching headline and stick only to what the scientific work says. The tail end is added with "according to a study" and that's it. However, as some scientists force striking conclusions because media coverage allows them to take on new research, journalists must exercise extreme caution and seek possible nuances, corrections, or objections from authoritative voices. We must preserve science from sensationalism: it is one of the few remaining bastions for building a shared social truth based on facts.