Thoughtful Gift Rejected

Dear Mrs. Newton,

My boyfriend, Jeff, is in med school and with all that studying, he has gained a few pounds. I have modified my shopping list and changed my meal preparation habits to accommodate his need to shed the weight. The other day, I was in the herbal section of the grocery store, and I saw another way I could help. I bought a bottle of Green Tea Extract which many of my friends use in their weight loss struggles. I made him a present of the bottle two weeks ago. This morning, I ran out of toothpaste, and, when I opened his side of the medicine cabinet to borrow his tube, I spotted the gift bottle. The seal was still intact. Why hasn't he taken the pills?

Tea-ed Off

Dear TO,

Your boyfriend is preparing for a career in medicine, and doctors take drugs very seriously. Drugs are regulated and are subjected to rigorous testing before they are approved for use in humans and they continue to be monitored after market introduction so that data are gathered on any side effects that occur. Manufacturers may not claim any benefits for a product that have not been proven in properly designed and executed clinical tests. These tests not only demonstrate the efficacy of a drug, but delineate how the drug works, and determine the dose and regimen that will produce the desired result and avoid side effects. By contrast, nutritionals often have been used for centuries and their usefulness to treat a particular ailment is supported by folk wisdom. Today, we know much more about the chemical structure and activity of nutritional supplements like the green tea catechins, but the scientific testing to prove their efficacy and detail their optimum use as a medicine has not been done or has been shown in studies that are too small to be definitive. Evidence that green tea extracts play a role in fat oxidation (fat burning) and thermogenesis (heat production in the body) is tantalizing, but there is no proof that any of these substances can be used therapeutically to achieve weight loss. Your boyfriend might be more interested in a product backed by a large body of clinical studies. ALLI (Orlistat), a weight loss aid made by GlaxoSmithKline, is an example. Doctors and other people with scientific training do not believe product claims unless that are backed up by tests. Don't be too hard on Jeff, if the little bottle gets shoved to the back of the medicine cabinet.

Presentation to R & D Management Falls Flat

Dear Mrs. Newton,

I gave what I thought was a first class presentation on our company's new hiring policies to our R & D management yesterday. Toward the end of my talk, I made a little joke about the silly habit scientist candidates have of mentioning with whom they studied while at university during job interviews. This morning my inbox is full of snide e-mails. What's the big deal?

Lars in Human Resources

Dear Lars,

Scientists know who the stars are in their field of concentration. When a candidate mentions in passing that he studied with Dr. Maximus Jones at Northwestern University, you might not get it, but the head of your R & D division will know that Dr. Jones is a genius in nanotechnology, and weigh in his hiring decision that this young scientist was mentored by a giant. Students compete mightily for spots in the laboratories of leading researchers. Your joke wasn't funny because it trivialized something the people listening to you value on their co-worker's CVs ( the scientific version of resumes), and worked hard to accomplish themselves. Swallow your pride, thank the people who e-mailed you and tell them you have learned a valuable lesson you will put to good use in technical recruiting.

I Bought the HDTV Because My Girlfriend Got One and Loved It

Dear Mrs. Newton,

I bought a 52' HDTV last week. The brand I chose was recommended to me by my friend, Chelsea, who bought one a month ago and is very happy with her decision. When I told my other friend Margo, a molecular biologist, what I had done, she said I must have money to burn if that was the way I purchased high ticket items. Do I have a right to feel insulted? Does Chelsea?

HighDef Dana

Dear Dana,

You and Chelsea needn't feel insulted. It is just that to Margo, you have committed the sin of insufficient "n." When Margo designs an experiment, she must determine what "n" she will use. N equals the number of subjects or samples she will test. The number has to be statistically sufficient for what she wants to prove or her results will be useless. When you told Margo you bought an expensive television based on the opinion of one person, you pressed all her scientific buttons. Even if Chelsea is a technical guru working for Sony or Sanyo, Margo will not be satisfied. Of course, she doesn't expect you to conduct a survey of a thousand HDTV buyers, but as your friend, she would feel better if you had read an article comparing models in ConsumerReports.org before deciding. Not only do scientists require data before reaching conclusions, they require quality data.

Our Company Scientists Hate the Product Brochure

Dear Mrs. Newton,

I worked my fingers to the bone over a brochure for a new medical product. It is gorgeous, I brought it in under budget and our customers love it. The marketing department is pleased as punch, but our scientific staff is up in arms about it. One guy even complained to the vice president that the brochure misrepresented our product. What's their beef?

Fuming in Four Colors

Dear FFC,

I am assuming your copy cleared the regulatory department in your company and that the brochure's small print contains accurate, detailed technical information, specifications and references. However, your headline and body copy have to be brief, punchy and eye-catching. Often the process of abbreviating and focusing a message on a target market, leaves important aspects of the product story on the cutting room floor. The omitted facts may be of the utmost importance to the scientists who developed the product. Moreover, advertising and marketing materials often rely on appeals that are, in part, emotional even in industrial and professional markets. Scientists who have worked on a product for years can become angry when their baby is presented to the world, not with facts, but with flamboyance. You should reach out to your scientific colleagues and listen to their objections. Once you understand the issue, you can develop and communicate some data of your own. Your sales team may be a big help here. Take the time to show the scientists your ad campaign was based on data carefully gathered from the marketplace.

Heart Set on a Mustang

Dear Mrs. Newton,

I want a new car. I have my heart set on the new Mustang in Torch Red. I am tired of driving our five-year old sedan. My husband, who is an engineer, says our old car only has 70,000 miles on it and is hardly broken in. Even though I have the money, in our marriage we have agreed to agree about big purchases. How do I win him over?

Little Red Riding Hood

Dear Red,

I hope you are not trying to tell him you need a new car because you look foxy in red. When you are trying to win over an engineer, you need to leave emotions and feelings behind and collect solid data. Since you didn't mention what make and model of car you are currently driving, and whether that purchase was the result of a mutual decision or was acquired prior to your nuptials, I am not able to suggest which sort of data would be most effective in a discussion with your hubby. I am sure your husband wants you to be driving a vehicle that is safe and reliable, so you should gather information from your dealer, the Mustang web site and from third parties that demonstrates these attributes. Beyond these facts, there is information about the car's performance which can be broken into two categories -- the "it goes real fast" and the "it runs on a thimble full of gas" columns. Since you are hoping to buy a sports car, I pray your husband shares your love of fast cars. If not, you have an uphill battle. Also check out new technology. Your older car may not have a GPS system, a feature that provides new safety benefits and navigation tools, or a rear-view camera. Be prepared to discuss alternative purchases. For example, if he did buy your last car, how does the current model of that car stack up against your Mustang? Develop answers to the inevitable green question. You live in the age of the hybrid vehicle. Your choice may not be the greenest of vehicles, but compared to your older gas guzzler, you might stand a chance. Finally, don't try to force a decision over price. Forget the "Honey, they're running the Fourth of July blowout sale and we'll never see these prices again" strategy. Your engineer thinks in formulas and price is only one part of the value equation. I know this data collection seems like drudgery to you, sweet lamb, but when you are tooling down Main Street in that Torch Red beauty, you'll see it was all worthwhile!