Thursday, August 29, 2013
Wednesday, August 28, 2013
Tuesday, August 27, 2013
Research finds 'US effect' exaggerates results in human behaviour studies
http://gu.com/p/3t99n
Scientists who study human behaviour are more likely than average to report exaggerated or eye-catching results if they are based in the United States, according to an analysis of more than 1,000 research papers in psychiatry and genetics. This bias could be due to the research culture in the US, authors of the analysis said, which tends to preferentially reward scientists for the novelty and immediate impact of a piece of work over the quality or its long-term contribution to the field.
Scientists who study human behaviour are more likely than average to report exaggerated or eye-catching results if they are based in the United States, according to an analysis of more than 1,000 research papers in psychiatry and genetics. This bias could be due to the research culture in the US, authors of the analysis said, which tends to preferentially reward scientists for the novelty and immediate impact of a piece of work over the quality or its long-term contribution to the field.
Sunday, August 25, 2013
Banish the trolls but web debate needs anonymity The Huffington Post's insistence on real names won't stop bad behaviour and risks stifling lively exchanges
http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2013/aug/25/web-trolls-anonymity-huffington-post
Interesting article. I have always thought "pseudoanonymity" was a promising compromise...real names exposes people too much, anonymity priest masks the trolls too much....what is needed is some kind of "anonymous accountability"
Women poker players, and finance
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/aug/25/women-poker-players-financial-crisis
Victoria Coren:
The millions of new young players, many with maths degrees, brought a revolution in technical strategy. Belligerent old Texans, still relying on primitive ideas of aggression and bluster, have been left in the dust. You do not succeed by being more "competitive" than your opponent, but by being cleverer.
In other words, Mr Wheeler's poker point proves that he overestimates the value of muscle. We have all realised this in poker, but the business world is glacially slow to catch on.
It is the masculine prejudices of the stock market, towards big-hat aggression and high-pressure manoeuvres, that led to the financial mess where we currently find ourselves. Macho competition on trading floors led to over-reaching, borrowed money, crashes – and subsequent demands for huge bonuses from the men who triggered them, on the grounds that this bull-headed approach is a rare and special skill.
If Stuart Wheeler approached me for poker advice, I would tell him what I tell all aspiring players: the first rule is not to go skint. The second rule is to make a profit, however small. Those who are blinded by ego, interested only in vast wins and huge adrenaline rushes, end up trapped in the escalating debt scenario that currently threatens the entire western economy.
Victoria Coren:
The millions of new young players, many with maths degrees, brought a revolution in technical strategy. Belligerent old Texans, still relying on primitive ideas of aggression and bluster, have been left in the dust. You do not succeed by being more "competitive" than your opponent, but by being cleverer.
In other words, Mr Wheeler's poker point proves that he overestimates the value of muscle. We have all realised this in poker, but the business world is glacially slow to catch on.
It is the masculine prejudices of the stock market, towards big-hat aggression and high-pressure manoeuvres, that led to the financial mess where we currently find ourselves. Macho competition on trading floors led to over-reaching, borrowed money, crashes – and subsequent demands for huge bonuses from the men who triggered them, on the grounds that this bull-headed approach is a rare and special skill.
If Stuart Wheeler approached me for poker advice, I would tell him what I tell all aspiring players: the first rule is not to go skint. The second rule is to make a profit, however small. Those who are blinded by ego, interested only in vast wins and huge adrenaline rushes, end up trapped in the escalating debt scenario that currently threatens the entire western economy.
Friday, August 2, 2013
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