You mean 40 anecdotes?

Also I totally get your point, but a comparative study is still much more valuable than a set of anecdotes, even if N=2.

A low sample size mostly just means a higher bar for statistical significance. It doesn't mean a study is useless.

Well, you're right, i did overstate. I think the researchers and journalists did too. Perhaps i would not be so annoyed with this, had the journalists specifically, just worded it in less bombastic terms.

Journalists are always going to word it in bombastic terms.