Comments on: Garbage In http://www.neptunuslex.com/2008/11/16/garbage-in/ The unbearable lightness of Lex. Enjoy! Fri, 10 Feb 2012 01:59:59 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Justthisguy http://www.neptunuslex.com/2008/11/16/garbage-in/comment-page-1/#comment-282206 Justthisguy Thu, 20 Nov 2008 22:08:12 +0000 http://www.neptunuslex.com/?p=6233#comment-282206 Jerry Pournelle has said, "You can prove anything if you make up your data." Jerry Pournelle has said, “You can prove anything if you make up your data.”

]]> By: Jim Collins http://www.neptunuslex.com/2008/11/16/garbage-in/comment-page-1/#comment-279856 Jim Collins Mon, 17 Nov 2008 14:09:56 +0000 http://www.neptunuslex.com/?p=6233#comment-279856 Something that you might want to consider. The VP is the Chief Executive of both NASA and the National Science Foundation. Considering that NASA can't wipe it's ass without funding and that the NSF is the controlling factor in most of the scientific grants that are awarded, is it any wonder that we are in this situation? If your results don't fit into what they want to hear, they just shut off your funding and give it to someone else who will tell them what they want to hear. Just think, on Jan. 20 Joe Biden takes over as VP. Anybody want to bet on the development of new data supporting Global Warming? Something that you might want to consider. The VP is the Chief Executive of both NASA and the National Science Foundation. Considering that NASA can’t wipe it’s ass without funding and that the NSF is the controlling factor in most of the scientific grants that are awarded, is it any wonder that we are in this situation?

If your results don’t fit into what they want to hear, they just shut off your funding and give it to someone else who will tell them what they want to hear.

Just think, on Jan. 20 Joe Biden takes over as VP. Anybody want to bet on the development of new data supporting Global Warming?

]]> By: J.M. Heinrichs http://www.neptunuslex.com/2008/11/16/garbage-in/comment-page-1/#comment-279537 J.M. Heinrichs Mon, 17 Nov 2008 03:57:42 +0000 http://www.neptunuslex.com/?p=6233#comment-279537 Marianne "Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences ", and "A Mathematician Reads the Newspaper", both by John Allen Paulos. Amongst other items, why percentages are meaningless if the original quantities cannot be determined. Cheers Marianne
“Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences “, and
“A Mathematician Reads the Newspaper”, both by John Allen Paulos. Amongst other items, why percentages are meaningless if the original quantities cannot be determined.

Cheers

]]> By: Marianne Matthews http://www.neptunuslex.com/2008/11/16/garbage-in/comment-page-1/#comment-279488 Marianne Matthews Mon, 17 Nov 2008 02:31:27 +0000 http://www.neptunuslex.com/?p=6233#comment-279488 Eric Wilner ... You're probably right and thanks for the reference. I'll look it up. It was long ago when I skimmed it, but I do remember enough to realize that newspaper stories about polls are useless unless they tell us the makeup and size of the statistical sample, and the kinds of questions asked, as well as the poll numbers. After all, if your statistical sample is made up of 250 Republicans and 500 Democrats, and you ask them which Presidential candidate they favor, it will be the Democrat who wins, won't it? Which is one of the reasons that, unlike Bill Clinton, I don't pay much attention to political polls. Books on 'How to Lie With Statistics' are another story. Marianne Eric Wilner … You’re probably right and thanks for the reference. I’ll look it up. It was long ago when I skimmed it, but I do remember enough to realize that newspaper stories about polls are useless unless they tell us the makeup and size of the statistical sample, and the kinds of questions asked, as well as the poll numbers. After all, if your statistical sample is made up of 250 Republicans and 500 Democrats, and you ask them which Presidential candidate they favor, it will be the Democrat who wins, won’t it? Which is one of the reasons that, unlike Bill Clinton, I don’t pay much attention to political polls.

Books on ‘How to Lie With Statistics’ are another story.

Marianne

]]> By: xairboss (alias) E Yat http://www.neptunuslex.com/2008/11/16/garbage-in/comment-page-1/#comment-279467 xairboss (alias) E Yat Mon, 17 Nov 2008 02:03:20 +0000 http://www.neptunuslex.com/?p=6233#comment-279467 Eric: That was required reading in my stat course back in the ice age. Still very true today and worth the read. Eric:
That was required reading in my stat course back in the ice age. Still very true today and worth the read.

]]> By: Tom G. http://www.neptunuslex.com/2008/11/16/garbage-in/comment-page-1/#comment-279433 Tom G. Mon, 17 Nov 2008 01:08:00 +0000 http://www.neptunuslex.com/?p=6233#comment-279433 Hi Byron - skip the pc and read "The Centurions" by J Larteguy - if you haven't read it you won't regret it. Hi Byron – skip the pc and read “The Centurions” by J Larteguy – if you haven’t read it you won’t regret it.

]]>