Monthly Archives: May 2017

Elections And Basic Arithmetic

Posted on May 12, 2017 by mikethemadbiologist

I’ve made the point in multiple contexts that percentages, such as those used to describe either antibiotic resistance frequencies or electoral outcomes, often don’t make much sense without the underlying numbers–what I’ve called the ‘denominator problem.’ Finally, a political pundit … Continue reading →

Posted in Democrats, Voting | 2 Comments

Links 5/11/17

Posted on May 11, 2017 by mikethemadbiologist

Links for you. Science: Minnesota Sees Largest Outbreak of Measles in Almost 30 Years A New Big-Data Paradigm For Target Identification And Drug Discovery Unfounded Autism Fears Are Fueling Minnesota’s Measles Outbreak Where have all the insects gone? Dingo fence … Continue reading →

Posted in Lotsa Links | Comments Off on Links 5/11/17

Narcissists Gonna Narcissist

Posted on May 11, 2017 by mikethemadbiologist

At this point, Il Trumpe’s narcissism isn’t just a quirk, it’s hurting himself and others (boldface mine): Mr. Comey’s fate was sealed by his latest testimony about the bureau’s investigation into Russia’s efforts to sway the 2016 election and the … Continue reading →

Posted in Resistance Rebellion And Death | Comments Off on Narcissists Gonna Narcissist

The Triumph Of Palinism: The Mexican Wall Edition

Posted on May 11, 2017 by mikethemadbiologist

Eight years ago, I noted a phenomenon I called “Palinism” (boldface added): While people have described Palin as engaging in identity politics, that sells identity politics short. Palin along with the proto-movement surrounding her–Palinism–practices what could be call ‘politics of … Continue reading →

Posted in Authoritarianism, Conservatives, Fucking Morons | 2 Comments

Links 5/10/17

Posted on May 10, 2017 by mikethemadbiologist

Links for you. Science: National Library of Medicine Announces Departure of NCBI Director Dr. David Lipman (this is sort of humongous actually) Cell-free biotech will make for better products When Brittle Stars ATTACK!!!!: The Ophiura sarsii DEATH MATCH!! Agency fires … Continue reading →

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Comey And The Wages Of Narcissism

Posted on May 10, 2017 by mikethemadbiologist

By the time this spools out, events might have surpassed what I’ve written–but that just makes it more exciting! In no particular order: This is entirely fueled by Trump’s narcissism. Kevin Drum: Trump’s astronomical ignorance has finally caught up with … Continue reading →

Posted in Conservatives, Resistance Rebellion And Death | 1 Comment

The Census Is Still In Trouble

Posted on May 10, 2017 by mikethemadbiologist

The U.S. right has had a long-running battle against the U.S. Census. Some context from five years ago: These are the same Republicans who have no problem with the massive surveillance state. At this point, it’s practically legal for the … Continue reading →

Posted in Census, Conservatives, Funding | Comments Off on The Census Is Still In Trouble

Links 5/9/17

Posted on May 9, 2017 by mikethemadbiologist

Links for you. Science: ‘Your comments are meaner than your score’: score calibration talk influences intra- and inter-panel variability during scientific grant peer review. About that 130,000 y.o. Human Occupation in California DOE freezes millions in high-tech energy grants and … Continue reading →

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New Tag

Posted on May 9, 2017 by mikethemadbiologist

“Big Sam” seems to be popping up all over town, including T Street NW, between New Hampshire and 16th, Dupont Circle, D.C.:

Posted in DC | Comments Off on New Tag

Why I Don’t Trust WMATA/Metro

Posted on May 9, 2017 by mikethemadbiologist

And it’s not due to overblown fears about safety. Instead, this is the reason (boldface mine): WMATA claims that reduced hours are necessary to properly maintain the system, but most other cities’ rapid transit systems manage with longer operating hours … Continue reading →

Posted in DC, Fucking Morons, Transportation | Comments Off on Why I Don’t Trust WMATA/Metro