Random Thoughts

How Reliable Is Peer Review?

Peer Review is universally used to ensure the quality of scientific research, but the process may not be as reliable as people assume. A new study in PLoS One suggests that the recommendations reviewers may not be much more reliable than a coin toss. " ...

Article - News Staff - May 21 2010 - 1:58pm

5@50- status report

Since I have started to write on this site, 13 months ago, I have realized that few of the contributors here discuss their private life and thoughts. But I was used to do it in my old site and so I still do it, because I conceive a blog as an online diary ...

Blog Post - Tommaso Dorigo - May 23 2010 - 1:44pm

The Say Of The Week

"There is no better way to learn something than to write about it" Martin Gardner (via Johannes Koelman) ...

Blog Post - Tommaso Dorigo - May 24 2010 - 1:53am

Should Morality Be Included In Economic Models?

Florida State accounting professor Douglas Stevens says economic decision-makers frequently factor morality into their judgments and behavior, and it's time for economic models to incorporate morality as a result. Stevens and a colleague have publishe ...

Article - News Staff - May 27 2010 - 11:17am

Wonder Weeds

Instead of blogging, I've been gardening (for a living) and cultivating a scientific interest in weeds.  ...

Blog Post - Anonymous - May 27 2010 - 8:09pm

Psychrolinguistics

Psychrolinguistics I was going to title this 'cryolinguistics', but someone else already invented the term.   You have to admire the linguistic skills of anyone who can come up with a Department of Zaphodian Cryolinguistics ...

Blog Post - Patrick Lockerby - May 29 2010 - 4:32pm

A Global Warming Scam Exposed

A Global Warming Scam Exposed A favorite trick of scammers is to pick a phrase that is widely used and then use it to draw in site visits via Google searches for that phrase. 1 If you search for "global warming scam" you will likely find a searc ...

Blog Post - Patrick Lockerby - May 31 2010 - 10:04am

Yoga For Scientists

Last night, while gym climbing with a science manager, I found he also did outdoor climbing, hiking, and yoga.  Yoga is a great exercise system.  Scientists need healthy bodies to match our super-healthy minds.  Yet a websearch on 'Yoga for Scientist ...

Article - Alex "Sandy" Antunes - Jun 4 2010 - 4:59pm

Music- The International Language

Music- The International Language Peoples of all cultures love music and song. This article addresses two urban myths: that yodelling originated in the mountains of Austria, Bavaria and Switzerland and that it evolved as a means of calling from mountain t ...

Article - Patrick Lockerby - Jun 4 2010 - 5:18pm

Addicted to Oil

It's a phrase that is commonly used to describe a stubborn reluctance to seriously explore alternatives.  There are many arguments, mostly economic, as to why this should be, but mostly it's due to the fact that there is too much money being mad ...

Blog Post - Gerhard Adam - Jun 4 2010 - 7:37pm