STAT44%
Can ultrasound unlock the power of gene therapy? A startup makes big claims 92%
By Jason Mast89%
7/17/2026, 8:30:00 AM
BS Summary: This article contains 13 faulty reasoning types, including Availability Heuristic, Pessimism Bias, and Appeal to Authority, with Negativity Bias as the most egregious example at 46.8% saturation with 58 hits. Analysis detected 373 faulty-reasoning hits from 124 analyzed words, generating a BS Score of 87.4% and a BS Rank of 92% (1,538 of 18,586 articles). This article is worse (more manipulative) than 91.70% of the article peer group.
For the last year, a small California startup has been making extraordinary claims about the ability of its technology to potentially treat Duchenne muscular dystrophy — and maybe a slew of other genetic diseases, too.
The company, Sonothera, does not yet have clinical data.
But it’s presented data in animals so stunning that other experts can’t quite wrap their minds around it.
“I find it hard to believe,” said Eric Olson, molecular biology chair at UT-Southwestern Medical Center.
“It seems a bit too good to be true,” said Jeffrey Chamberlain, a longtime Duchenne gene therapy expert at the University of Washington.
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Confirmation Bias
0%Confirmation Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorJason Mast
0%PublicationSTAT
3%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Anchoring Bias
0%Anchoring Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorJason Mast
0%PublicationSTAT
1.3%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Availability Heuristic
42.7%Availability Heuristic
OverallThis article
42.7%AuthorJason Mast
12.7%PublicationSTAT
3.9%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Representativeness Heuristic
0%Representativeness Heuristic
OverallThis article
0%AuthorJason Mast
0%PublicationSTAT
0.9%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Hindsight Bias
0%Hindsight Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorJason Mast
0%PublicationSTAT
0.4%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Overconfidence Bias
0%Overconfidence Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorJason Mast
0%PublicationSTAT
1.2%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Framing Effect
6.5%Framing Effect
OverallThis article
6.5%AuthorJason Mast
9.2%PublicationSTAT
8.2%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Loss Aversion
0%Loss Aversion
OverallThis article
0%AuthorJason Mast
0%PublicationSTAT
0.6%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Status Quo Bias
0%Status Quo Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorJason Mast
0%PublicationSTAT
0.8%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Sunk Cost Effect
0%Sunk Cost Effect
OverallThis article
0%AuthorJason Mast
0%PublicationSTAT
0.2%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Optimism Bias
0%Optimism Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorJason Mast
6.7%PublicationSTAT
3.3%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Pessimism Bias
31.5%Pessimism Bias
OverallThis article
31.5%AuthorJason Mast
6.6%PublicationSTAT
1.5%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Negativity Bias
46.8%Negativity Bias
OverallThis article
46.8%AuthorJason Mast
8.3%PublicationSTAT
8.2%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Self-Serving Bias
0%Self-Serving Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorJason Mast
0%PublicationSTAT
0.9%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Fundamental Attribution Error
0%Fundamental Attribution Error
OverallThis article
0%AuthorJason Mast
0%PublicationSTAT
0.4%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Actor-Observer Bias
0%Actor-Observer Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorJason Mast
0%PublicationSTAT
0.1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
In-Group Bias
0%In-Group Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorJason Mast
0%PublicationSTAT
0.5%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Out-Group Homogeneity Bias
0%Out-Group Homogeneity Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorJason Mast
0%PublicationSTAT
0.1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Halo Effect
0%Halo Effect
OverallThis article
0%AuthorJason Mast
0%PublicationSTAT
1.4%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Horn Effect
0%Horn Effect
OverallThis article
0%AuthorJason Mast
0%PublicationSTAT
0.1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Dunning-Kruger Effect
0%Dunning-Kruger Effect
OverallThis article
0%AuthorJason Mast
0%PublicationSTAT
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Recency Bias
0%Recency Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorJason Mast
0%PublicationSTAT
1.5%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Primacy Effect
0%Primacy Effect
OverallThis article
0%AuthorJason Mast
0%PublicationSTAT
0.4%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Blind-Spot Bias
0%Blind-Spot Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorJason Mast
0%PublicationSTAT
0.1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Ad Hominem
0%Ad Hominem
OverallThis article
0%AuthorJason Mast
0%PublicationSTAT
0.4%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Straw Man
0%Straw Man
OverallThis article
0%AuthorJason Mast
0%PublicationSTAT
0.5%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Appeal to Authority
31.5%Appeal to Authority
OverallThis article
31.5%AuthorJason Mast
10.3%PublicationSTAT
4.6%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
False Dilemma
0%False Dilemma
OverallThis article
0%AuthorJason Mast
0%PublicationSTAT
1.6%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Slippery Slope
0%Slippery Slope
OverallThis article
0%AuthorJason Mast
0%PublicationSTAT
1.1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Circular Reasoning
0%Circular Reasoning
OverallThis article
0%AuthorJason Mast
0%PublicationSTAT
0.1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Hasty Generalization
28.2%Hasty Generalization
OverallThis article
28.2%AuthorJason Mast
3.7%PublicationSTAT
4.7%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Red Herring
0%Red Herring
OverallThis article
0%AuthorJason Mast
0%PublicationSTAT
0.2%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Bandwagon
0%Bandwagon
OverallThis article
0%AuthorJason Mast
0%PublicationSTAT
0.4%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Appeal to Emotion
0%Appeal to Emotion
OverallThis article
0%AuthorJason Mast
6.1%PublicationSTAT
3.6%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Begging the Question
0%Begging the Question
OverallThis article
0%AuthorJason Mast
0%PublicationSTAT
0.9%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Post Hoc (False Cause)
0%Post Hoc (False Cause)
OverallThis article
0%AuthorJason Mast
0%PublicationSTAT
2.2%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Tu Quoque
0%Tu Quoque
OverallThis article
0%AuthorJason Mast
0%PublicationSTAT
0.1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Burden of Proof
7.3%Burden of Proof
OverallThis article
7.3%AuthorJason Mast
1%PublicationSTAT
0.6%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Appeal to Nature
0%Appeal to Nature
OverallThis article
0%AuthorJason Mast
0%PublicationSTAT
0.2%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Composition/Division
0%Composition/Division
OverallThis article
0%AuthorJason Mast
0%PublicationSTAT
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Anecdotal
14.5%Anecdotal
OverallThis article
14.5%AuthorJason Mast
3.4%PublicationSTAT
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No True Scotsman
0%No True Scotsman
OverallThis article
0%AuthorJason Mast
0%PublicationSTAT
0.1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Ambiguity (Equivocation)
6.5%Ambiguity (Equivocation)
OverallThis article
6.5%AuthorJason Mast
0.9%PublicationSTAT
2.2%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Gambler’s Fallacy
0%Gambler’s Fallacy
OverallThis article
0%AuthorJason Mast
0%PublicationSTAT
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Middle Ground
0%Middle Ground
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0%AuthorJason Mast
0%PublicationSTAT
0.3%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Personal Incredulity
31.5%Personal Incredulity
OverallThis article
31.5%AuthorJason Mast
8.3%PublicationSTAT
0.1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Special Pleading
0%Special Pleading
OverallThis article
0%AuthorJason Mast
0%PublicationSTAT
0.2%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Genetic Fallacy
0%Genetic Fallacy
OverallThis article
0%AuthorJason Mast
0%PublicationSTAT
0.1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Unattributed Quote
0%Unattributed Quote
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0%AuthorJason Mast
0%PublicationSTAT
1.4%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Quote-first Misdirection
31.5%Quote-first Misdirection
OverallThis article
31.5%AuthorJason Mast
4.2%PublicationSTAT
0.9%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Biased Writer Voice
14.5%Biased Writer Voice
OverallThis article
14.5%AuthorJason Mast
8.1%PublicationSTAT
6.1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Indoctrination
0%Indoctrination
OverallThis article
0%AuthorJason Mast
0%PublicationSTAT
2.3%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Politically Left Leaning Bias
0%Politically Left Leaning Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorJason Mast
0%PublicationSTAT
0.9%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Politically Right Leaning Bias
0%Politically Right Leaning Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorJason Mast
0%PublicationSTAT
0.2%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Attempt to Sell a Product or Service
8.1%Attempt to Sell a Product or Service
OverallThis article
8.1%AuthorJason Mast
16.2%PublicationSTAT
3.7%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
124 words analyzed.
Analysis
Hover over highlighted words in the article to view the associated bias or fallacy analysis.