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Another paradox is why the media always seems to portray meta studies (correlation) as fact (causation).

This just in: Margarine Causes Divorce in Maine [1]

1. http://tylervigen.com/spurious-correlations (99.3% correlation between Maine's divorce rate and margarine consumption)

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> Another paradox is why the media always seems to portray meta studies (correlation) as fact (causation).

correlation vs. causation is a completely different axis of differentiation from meta-study vs. (direct) study, which is a completely different axis of variation from (something that isn't fact) to fact.

So, you've conflated at least three different distinctions there.

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