In part two of his series on pathological science, Gary Taubes estimates the extent to which self-deceit has infiltrated scientific research and further investigates whether entire disciplines have become pathological. His inquiries lead to meditations on the necessary characteristics of rigorous scientific study. One indication that health-related research has become pathological, he suggests, is its experts’ tendency to view “placebo-controlled, double-blind, randomized-controlled trials as the ‘gold standard’ of scientific evidence.” This view, he argues, represents “a lack of understanding of the scientific endeavor,” because “these trials are simply what’s necessary to establish reliable knowledge.”

CrossFit Open Workout 20.4 featured box jumps, clean and jerks of increasing weight, and single-leg squats. The workout had a 20-minute time cap, which gave most athletes a chance to get as far as their strength on the clean and jerks would allow. CrossFit Beyond the Whiteboard takes a look at participation and performance by country, division, and workout type.