--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: ...the real threat from cranks is not…" description: "\"“...the real threat from cranks is not that their customers might die -- there is the odd case, although it seems crass to harp on about them - but tha..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/54c/ben-goldacre-9578_crank_the-real-threat-from-cranks-is-not-that_2845514.png" --- # ...the real threat from cranks is not that their customers… ![“...the real threat from cranks is not that their customers might die -- there is the odd case, although it seems crass to harp on about them - but that they systematically the public's understanding about the very nature of evidence.” quote by Ben Goldacre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/54c/ben-goldacre-9578_crank_the-real-threat-from-cranks-is-not-that_2845514.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/54c/ben-goldacre-9578_crank_the-real-threat-from-cranks-is-not-that_2845514.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/54c/ben-goldacre-9578_crank_the-real-threat-from-cranks-is-not-that_2845514.png) > ““...the real threat from cranks is not that their customers might die -- there is the odd case, although it seems crass to harp on about them - but that they systematically the public's understanding about the very nature of evidence.”” [Ben Goldacre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-goldacre/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He warns that cranks can mislead the public about evidence, harming trust and safety. **In simple terms:** Misinformation erodes public understanding of evidence. Key Takeaway Promote critical evaluation of sources. Themes misinformation evidence public trust Mood cautious analytical Type educational critical When to use this quote - health policy - media literacy - consumer protection Key Concepts science communication ethics Questions to Reflect On - How can we improve evidence literacy? - What safeguards protect against false claims? A Different Perspective Not all misinformation is intentional; context matters. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Learning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learning/) ## Related quotes > [More cranks take up unfashionable errors than unfashionable truths.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/more-cranks-take-up-unfashionable-errors-than-unfashionable-truths/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [Old cranks have practiced all their lives, just as old saints have likewise practiced all their lives. They just practiced different life principles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-powell/old-cranks-have-practiced-all-their-lives-just-as-old-saints-have/) [John Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-powell/) > [Cranks live by theory, not by pure desire. They want votes, peace, nuts, liberty, and spinning-looms not because they love these things, as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-macaulay/cranks-live-by-theory-not-by-pure-desire-they-want-votes-peace-nuts/) [Rose Macaulay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rose-macaulay/) > [The federalism term is a good term, but it's just below the surface; it's just about to come up into wider public understanding that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gar-alperovitz/the-federalism-term-is-a-good-term-but-it-s-just-below-the-surface-it/) [Gar Alperovitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gar-alperovitz/) > [For me it's been very exciting to contribute to the public's understanding of how rich and wondrous science is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-greene/for-me-it-s-been-very-exciting-to-contribute-to-the-public-s/) [Brian Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-greene/) > [I have always been spurred on by my not finding expressed anywhere the kinds of perspectives that I thought these issues most perspicuously needed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-smith/i-have-always-been-spurred-on-by-my-not-finding-expressed-anywhere/) [Kenny Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-smith/) > [Today, public understanding of our past and our system of government is pitifully low.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-liu/today-public-understanding-of-our-past-and-our-system-of-government/) [Eric Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-liu/) > [The general public may not have an understanding about me and what I do, how I feel about my children, how I feel about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/travis-browne/the-general-public-may-not-have-an-understanding-about-me-and-what-i/) [Travis Browne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/travis-browne/) > [“A DEPUTATION It consists of two men and three women. Superior people would call them Cranks. But Cranks have been of some service to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-k-jerome/a-deputation-it-consists-of-two-men-and-three-women-superior-people/) [Jerome K. Jerome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-k-jerome/) > [“False hope," she said. "Guess that's better then no hope at all.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-dashner/false-hope-she-said-guess-that-s-better-then-no-hope-at-all/) [James Dashner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-dashner/) > [“The cranks are always with us,” Qwilleran said, “hiding behind trees, peeking around corners, going about in disguise, and plotting their selfish little schemes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lilian-jackson-braun/the-cranks-are-always-with-us-qwilleran-said-hiding-behind-trees/) [Lilian Jackson Braun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lilian-jackson-braun/) > [“Nothing is a masterpiece - a real masterpiece - till it's about two hundred years old. A picture is like a tree or a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-cary/nothing-is-a-masterpiece-a-real-masterpiece-till-it-s-about-two/) [Joyce Cary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-cary/) > [When they invent the transporter on Star Trek, then the Internet will be a real threat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-storch/when-they-invent-the-transporter-on-star-trek-then-the-internet-will/) Jerry Storch > [There was one moment when J. Edgar Hoover and us had the same distorted lens about who we were - "a real threat," you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-ayers/there-was-one-moment-when-j-edgar-hoover-and-us-had-the-same/) [Bill Ayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-ayers/) > [My greatest fear is the Iranians acquire a nuclear weapon and give it to a terrorist organization. And there is a real threat of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/my-greatest-fear-is-the-iranians-acquire-a-nuclear-weapon-and-give-it/) [John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/) ## More by Ben Goldacre > [In general, drug companies are reasonably good at developing new treatments, and there's also a lot of good in the industry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-goldacre/in-general-drug-companies-are-reasonably-good-at-developing-new/) [Ben Goldacre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-goldacre/) > [Amazing things happen when you pull individual pieces of information together into larger linked datasets: meaning emerges, as you produce facts from figures.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-goldacre/amazing-things-happen-when-you-pull-individual-pieces-of-information/) [Ben Goldacre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-goldacre/) > [“Aside from all this, for several of the most important and enduring problems in medicine, we have no idea what the best treatment is,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-goldacre/aside-from-all-this-for-several-of-the-most-important-and-enduring/) [Ben Goldacre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-goldacre/) > [“At school you were taught about chemicals in test tubes, equations to describe motion, and maybe something on photosynthesis—about which more later—but in all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-goldacre/at-school-you-were-taught-about-chemicals-in-test-tubes-equations-to/) [Ben Goldacre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-goldacre/) > [ And if, by the end \[of this book\], you reckon you might still disagree with me, then I offer you this: you'll still be… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-goldacre/and-if-by-the-end-of-this-book-you-reckon-you-might-still-disagree/) [Ben Goldacre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-goldacre/) > [I think you'll find it's a bit more complicated than that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-goldacre/i-think-you-ll-find-it-s-a-bit-more-complicated-than-that/) [Ben Goldacre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-goldacre/) > [“Today, scientists and doctors find themselves outnumbered and outgunned by vast armies of individuals who feel entitled to pass judgment on matters of evidence—an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-goldacre/today-scientists-and-doctors-find-themselves-outnumbered-and/) [Ben Goldacre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-goldacre/) > [I hope that you will be asked to participate in a trial at some stage in your disease](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-goldacre/i-hope-that-you-will-be-asked-to-participate-in-a-trial-at-some-stage/) [Ben Goldacre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-goldacre/) > [Most bloggers have no institutional credibility, and so they must build it, by linking transparently, and allowing you to easily double check their work.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-goldacre/most-bloggers-have-no-institutional-credibility-and-so-they-must/) [Ben Goldacre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-goldacre/) > [“The American Academy of Pediatrics officially supports breastfeeding, but receives about half a million dollars from Ross, manufacturers of Similac infant formula.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-goldacre/the-american-academy-of-pediatrics-officially-supports-breastfeeding/) [Ben Goldacre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-goldacre/) > [“More than that, these adverts sell a dubious world view. They sell the idea that science is not about the delicate relationship between evidence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-goldacre/more-than-that-these-adverts-sell-a-dubious-world-view-they-sell-the/) [Ben Goldacre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-goldacre/) > [“At school you were taught about chemicals in test tubes, equations to describe motion, and maybe something on photosynthesis – about which more later…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-goldacre/at-school-you-were-taught-about-chemicals-in-test-tubes-equations-to-2/) [Ben Goldacre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-goldacre/) > [“My basic hypothesis is this: the people who run the media are Humanities graduates with little understanding of science, who wear their ignorance as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-goldacre/my-basic-hypothesis-is-this-the-people-who-run-the-media-are/) [Ben Goldacre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-goldacre/) > [“The current regulations -- for companies, doctors and researchers -- create perverse incentives; and we'll have better luck fixing those broken systems than we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-goldacre/the-current-regulations-for-companies-doctors-and-researchers-create/) [Ben Goldacre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-goldacre/) > [Doctors and patients need as much data as possible to make an informed decision about what treatment is best.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-goldacre/doctors-and-patients-need-as-much-data-as-possible-to-make-an/) [Ben Goldacre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-goldacre/) [Explore all 71 Ben Goldacre quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-goldacre/) ## More Crank quotes > [Dr. Arnold . . . the admired reformer of public schools, came across some cranks who thought it a mistake to flog boys. Anyone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/dr-arnold-the-admired-reformer-of-public-schools-came-across-some/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [“Really great moral teachers never do introduce new moralities: it is quacks and cranks who do that. As”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/really-great-moral-teachers-never-do-introduce-new-moralities-it-is/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [There you go, now crank her back just a hair right there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-moore/there-you-go-now-crank-her-back-just-a-hair-right-there/) [Justin Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-moore/) > [Living more lives than one, knowing people of all classes, all shades of opinion, monarchists, republicans, socialists, anarchists, has had a salutary effect on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rheta-childe-dorr/living-more-lives-than-one-knowing-people-of-all-classes-all-shades/) [Rheta Childe Dorr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rheta-childe-dorr/) > [I feel like every time I start up, it's like a truck you have to get into 15th gear, so you very solely crank…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chad-harbach/i-feel-like-every-time-i-start-up-it-s-like-a-truck-you-have-to-get/) [Chad Harbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chad-harbach/) > [Once we used to have to crank up our cars, now you can pop it on from inside your house. Everything has changed except…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-gregory/once-we-used-to-have-to-crank-up-our-cars-now-you-can-pop-it-on-from/) [Dick Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-gregory/) > [Enlightened self-interest from those involved in hydrocarbons should lead to the support of technologies enabling the clean use of hydrocarbons, such as carbon capture…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-stern/enlightened-self-interest-from-those-involved-in-hydrocarbons-should/) [Nicholas Stern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-stern/) > [People like 'Crank,' some people like 'Redemption.' I'm just happy to do things that satiate a different part of me, that test me a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-statham/people-like-crank-some-people-like-redemption-i-m-just-happy-to-do/) [Jason Statham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-statham/) > [I get so many ideas for songs, but I'm so seldom disciplined enough to sit down and crank them out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-palmer/i-get-so-many-ideas-for-songs-but-i-m-so-seldom-disciplined-enough-to/) [Amanda Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-palmer/) > [Really great moral teachers never do introduce new moralities: it is quacks and cranks who do that… The real job of every moral teacher…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/really-great-moral-teachers-never-do-introduce-new-moralities-it-is-2/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If we like a man's dream, we call him a reformer; if we don't like his dream, we call him a crank.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-dean-howells/if-we-like-a-man-s-dream-we-call-him-a-reformer-if-we-don-t-like-his/) [William Dean Howells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-dean-howells/) > [We cannot hope to change human nature. There will always be cranks and conspiracy theorists among us. But we can try to improve things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-avlon/we-cannot-hope-to-change-human-nature-there-will-always-be-cranks-and/) [John Avlon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-avlon/) > [I never felt at home. I stuck outIn New York City, especially in Greenwich Village, down among the cranks and the misfits and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-mitchell/i-never-felt-at-home-i-stuck-outin-new-york-city-especially-in/) [Joseph Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-mitchell/) > [I'm a Crank. I'm slowly going crazy. I keep wanting to chew off my own fingers and randomly kill people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-dashner/i-m-a-crank-i-m-slowly-going-crazy-i-keep-wanting-to-chew-off-my-own/) [James Dashner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-dashner/) > [I don't want to write formula. I don't want to crank these books out like sausages. Every book is different, which takes a hell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-grafton/i-don-t-want-to-write-formula-i-don-t-want-to-crank-these-books-out/) [Sue Grafton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-grafton/) Browse all 131 Crank quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“...the real threat from cranks is not that their customers might die -- there is the odd case, although it seems crass to harp on about them - but that they systematically the public's understanding about the very nature of evidence.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ben Goldacre" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-goldacre/the-real-threat-from-cranks-is-not-that-their-customers-might-die/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Crank" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-goldacre/the-real-threat-from-cranks-is-not-that-their-customers-might-die/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/54c/ben-goldacre-9578_crank_the-real-threat-from-cranks-is-not-that_2845514.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/54c/ben-goldacre-9578_crank_the-real-threat-from-cranks-is-not-that_2845514.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/54c/ben-goldacre-9578_crank_the-real-threat-from-cranks-is-not-that_2845514.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“...the real threat from cranks is not that their customers might die -- there is the odd case, although it…” — Ben Goldacre", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Ben Goldacre", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-goldacre/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“...the real threat from cranks is...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-goldacre/the-real-threat-from-cranks-is-not-that-their-customers-might-die/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-goldacre/the-real-threat-from-cranks-is-not-that-their-customers-might-die/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```