Category Archives: Science

5% TO 20%—THE GOOD NEWS ABOUT “OBSERVATIONAL STUDIES”.

Posted on May 17, 2012 by Philip

5% TO 20%—THE GOOD NEWS ABOUT “OBSERVATIONAL STUDIES”. I am encouraged by the estimates of the percentage of findings from statistical studies that can be replicated. The estimates of 5% to 20% for multiple regression studies are higher than I … Continue reading →

Posted in Journalism, Science | Leave a comment

5% TO 20%—THE BAD NEWS ABOUT “OBSERVATIONAL STUDIES”.

Posted on May 16, 2012 by Philip

5% TO 20%—THE BAD NEWS ABOUT “OBSERVATIONAL STUDIES”. Gautam Naik had an article in the Wall Street Journal (May 3) headlined “Analytical Trend Troubles Scientists”. The troubling trend is that “observational studies often use different methodologies and arrive at different … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, Journalism, Science | 1 Comment

AMERICANS AS AN INVASIVE SPECIES (COMMENT).

Posted on April 26, 2012 by Philip

AMERICANS AS AN INVASIVE SPECIES (COMMENT). Lee Bryant posted a wonderfully apt comment on my post about Matt Ridley’s argument that gray squirrels, which have been displacing the native red squirrels in Britain, are better suited to the English environment … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics, Science | Leave a comment

MAKING A GEARBOX WITH A 3D PRINTER.

Posted on April 22, 2012 by Philip

MAKING A GEARBOX WITH A 3D PRINTER. The Economist (April 21) has an article on the revolutionary possibilities of 3D printing. To give an idea of the importance of 3D printing, it seems that it will considered for use in … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, Science | Leave a comment

EJECTING TONS OF ROCK INTO SPACE.

Posted on April 16, 2012 by Philip

EJECTING TONS OF ROCKS INTO SPACE. Instapundit posted on this article in MIT’s Technology Review blog which describes a new study on the impact of the asteroid weighing over one trillion tons which struck the earth some 65 million years … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Science | Leave a comment

A DEFENSE OF INVASIVE SPECIES.

Posted on April 6, 2012 by Philip

A DEFENSE OF INVASIVE SPECIES. I have conflicting feelings about invasive species. Matt Ridley argues that they are sometimes good things: “Some ecosystems are enriched and made more productive by invasive species.” He supports this with examples of invasive species … Continue reading →

Posted in Science | 3 Comments

IS THERE A BALANCE OF NATURE?

Posted on April 5, 2012 by Philip

IS THERE A BALANCE OF NATURE? Matt Ridley had a review in the Wall Street Journal (March 23) of THE RAMBUNCTIOUS GARDEN by Emma Marris, which summarized her challenge to the idea of a balance in nature. Ridley begins by … Continue reading →

Posted in Science | Leave a comment

SOME ADVANTAGES OF AUTISM.

Posted on April 2, 2012 by Philip

SOME ADVANTAGES OF AUTISM. Jonathan Lehrer had an article in the Wall Street Journal (March 31) about a recent experiment in which autistics surpassed nonautistics in dealing with difficult perceptual challenges. The autistics were able to process more information in … Continue reading →

Posted in Science | Leave a comment

DAUGHTERS, BRAIDS, AND PONYTAILS.

Posted on March 31, 2012 by Philip

DAUGHTERS, BRAIDS, AND PONYTAILS. I found this explanation of the Ponytail Shape Equation by Edward Willett helpful. It also appealed to me because he comments on his experiences fashioning a ponytail in the mornings from his daughters long hair. It … Continue reading →

Posted in Science | Leave a comment

THE PONYTAIL SHAPE EQUATION.

Posted on March 30, 2012 by Philip

THE PONYTAIL SHAPE EQUATION. Two months ago I posted about how a physicist had provided a mathematical explanation for an observation made by Leonardo da Vinci. Now, mathematicians have an explanation for another observation by Leonardo. Leonardo observed in his … Continue reading →

Posted in art, Science | Leave a comment