From Barry Goldman:

Re: “Junk DNA” key to human evolution? (Sept. 4): That was a great article on junk DNA and implication for human evolution.

I think one of the more important lessons however is that it demonstrates the problem we have with much of modern science whereby researchers claim that “there is no effect” when they really mean that they cannot ‘statistically’ demonstrate an effect. In most cases they have not posited an alternative hypothesis and thus there is way of measuring type II errors. Not that this is easy in genetics, but, to bring the point home, the very act of calling this material ‘junk DNA’ is prejudging the issue and should not be tolerated.