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The Economist has a very good article ("Trouble at the lab") on the failures of statistics usage, peer review and the bias toward publishing positive results in the sciences which should be required reading for anyone at all interested in science. This paragraph is a correct summary of the article but all of it should be read:

Various factors contribute to the problem. Statistical mistakes are widespread. The peer reviewers who evaluate papers before journals commit to publishing them are much worse at spotting mistakes than they or others appreciate. Professional pressure, competition and ambition push scientists to publish more quickly than would be wise. A career structure which lays great stress on publishing copious papers exacerbates all these problems.

In this area, misinformation is a serious problem.