Tag: Science

The Business of Science, & the fallout in the Economist’s eyes [Article]

A recent article in the Economist, titled “Trouble at the lab” attempted to paint scientific research as being abysmally poor at identifying & correcting errors.  Reminded me of that saying “People in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones at others”.  Bob Frankston explains why:

The larger issue is understanding motivation as market processes and not confusing “Science” as a business (or bodies of knowledge) with “science” as an operational methodology that doesn’t seek the singular truth any more than evolution is directed towards a goal.

Read more here for some thought-provoking discussion on this subject.

To pee or not to pee in the ocean, that is the question [Article]

A hilariously written scientific article by Lauren Wolf that concludes thus:

“No question, pee in the ocean. Urine is harmless stuff in the first place and is diluted to the point of insignificance within minutes. There are far more harmful things in the ocean to worry about!” Yeah, like a Sharknado.

Turned off? Read about the other creatures which inhabit the ocean and who don’t have a bio-chemical processing plant (aka toilet).

A metronomic symphony – video, article

From the NPR’s science blog, here’s two videos of metronomes starting out of sync & eventually aligning with no intervention. The science behind this is also explained in this article. Fascinating if you’re a music buff or just have a curious mind. Ah, and the analogies that this triggered for me! The little metronome that wouldn’t

5 Steps to Separate Science from Hype, No PhD Required

Gabrielle Rabinowitz and Emily Dennis provide some resources to separate science from hype. Also known as the BS thermometer. There are additional links at the bottom of the page too – Google’s using the right search terms,  or on using Wolfram Alpha to get simpler ways to describe obscure technical measurements, and a bunch of others.