Monthly Archives: February 2012

Links 2/29/12

Posted on February 29, 2012 by mikethemadbiologist

Links for you. Science: From Caves to Stonehenge, Ancient Peoples Painted with Sound: Researchers present evidence of sophisticated sonic illusions in ancient sites around the world. This Is NASA’s Cancer-Sniffing Cellphone Sensor Scan Your Food For Bacteria With Your Cell … Continue reading →

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Program Announcement

Posted on February 29, 2012 by mikethemadbiologist

I’m travelling. The blog, like the Mighty Mississippi, will keep rolling on, but I probably won’t respond to emails or comments very quickly.

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What Democrats Should Learn From the Auto Industry Bailout

Posted on February 29, 2012 by mikethemadbiologist

Regular readers will be aware the Mad Biologist’s Pentultimate Political Theorem: People have to like this crap. Back when Obama proposed and then executed the auto industry bailout, it was not popular (boldface mine): According to Pew’s latest survey (conducted … Continue reading →

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The Mad Biologist Is Still the Pundiest Pundit EVAH!: The Local Austerity Edition

Posted on February 29, 2012 by mikethemadbiologist

Somethings in life are difficult to figure out, but identifying this little economic problem shouldn’t have been one of them. From the Krugman (boldface mine): One question that arises when we talk about the possibility of reversing the disastrous push … Continue reading →

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Links 2/28/12

Posted on February 28, 2012 by mikethemadbiologist

Links for you. Science: Vaginal pH Redux: Acidic Tampons, Coming to a Store Near You The Intended Consequences of Fake Science A young leaf-footed bug (Coreidae). Is Sugar Fattening? What’s living on your smartphone? (also see “Microbial Biodiversity of Cell … Continue reading →

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“Just the Man”

Posted on February 28, 2012 by mikethemadbiologist

I think I missed the meeting. Since it happened in 1940: (from Boston’s West End Museum)

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And How Does a Human Make Sense of NYC’s Released Test Scores?

Posted on February 28, 2012 by mikethemadbiologist

Yesterday, I wrote about the problems surrounding New York City’s release of teacher scores (more information here). Well, I briefly looked at the NY Times website, which to its credit included error terms (not that most people will have an … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Statistics | 1 Comment

Links 2/27/12

Posted on February 27, 2012 by mikethemadbiologist

Links for you. Science: Victory! Indiana House Kills Creationist Bill Marriage Is No Immunity From Problems with Planning Pregnancies Alcoholic Monkeys Stealing Cocktails from Caribbean Beach-Goers (this has the makings of an awesome dissertation project) Would We Have Drugged Up … Continue reading →

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Boston Science, Circa 1936

Posted on February 27, 2012 by mikethemadbiologist

From Boston’s West End Museum: This is an ‘action shot’ of the Peabody House Science Department. The Peabody House was a settlement house, which was that era’s equivalent of a community center. The Peabody Science Department was nationally recognized, taking … Continue reading →

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Dear Newspapers: If You’re Going to Release Teacher Evaluations, Then Report Them Correctly

Posted on February 27, 2012 by mikethemadbiologist

You might have heard by now that New York City plans to publicly release teacher evaluation scores with names attached. I’ve dealt with some of the statistical issues surrounding using value-added testing to grade teachers (as opposed to assessing large-scale … Continue reading →

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