Given the pressures of the 24/7/365 news cycle, often things jump straight from work-in-progress reports on, say, EurekAlert! straight to their wildest conclusions (and confusions) on the news.
So when I hear one of the following, I make these conclusions:
"Correlation found in a large data set!" - Good for you, it might be worth pursuing. Now weigh the personal cost of getting funding vs your degree of certainty. I feel for you!
"Visual artifacts found in large astronomical data set!" - Wait a decade, we need more algorithms! Meanwhile, no jumping, peanut gallery. Go play on YouTube; they have ancient aliens, we don't.
"Mathematical simulation reveals marvelousness!" - Of the plausible (good theory, predictions) I think, "Cool, on standby for for experimental confirmation." Of the fanciful, I think about the clichéd caveat wrt garbage and computing inputs/outputs.
"Unambiguous, six-sigma measurement done!" - Oooh, either deja vu all over again (cold fusion), or fun stuff! Anyone else?
"Lotsa six sigma confirmations, buzz in the field!" - I love science! Time to start jumping.
...
Please contradict if I am overreacting in any of these cases.
So when I hear one of the following, I make these conclusions:
"Correlation found in a large data set!" - Good for you, it might be worth pursuing. Now weigh the personal cost of getting funding vs your degree of certainty. I feel for you!
"Visual artifacts found in large astronomical data set!" - Wait a decade, we need more algorithms! Meanwhile, no jumping, peanut gallery. Go play on YouTube; they have ancient aliens, we don't.
"Mathematical simulation reveals marvelousness!" - Of the plausible (good theory, predictions) I think, "Cool, on standby for for experimental confirmation." Of the fanciful, I think about the clichéd caveat wrt garbage and computing inputs/outputs.
"Unambiguous, six-sigma measurement done!" - Oooh, either deja vu all over again (cold fusion), or fun stuff! Anyone else?
"Lotsa six sigma confirmations, buzz in the field!" - I love science! Time to start jumping.
...
Please contradict if I am overreacting in any of these cases.
via JREF Forum http://ift.tt/1gFZwdG
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