It's scary how many people don't know the difference between raw data statistics (which are almost always worthless) and a multivariate regression with control variables (which can actually tell you something about the data). Everyone can read a paper and look at numbers, but to understand what is really happening you do need some formal education that most people simply seem to lack. Even people with this kind of education sometimes step into pitfalls, but normal people drawing conclusions from these things is like running through a minefield while blindfolded.