memfree

cross-posted from: https://beehaw.org/post/15160546 | ghost archive | Excerpts:

... findings with null or negative results — those that fail to find a relationship between variables or groups, or that go against the preconceived hypothesis — gather dust in favour of studies with positive or significant findings. A 2022 survey of scientists in France, for instance, found that 75% were willing to publish null results they had produced, but only 12.5% were able to do so2. Over time, this bias in publications distorts the scientific record, and a focus on significant results can encourage researchers to selectively report their data or exaggerate the statistical importance of their findings. It also wastes time and money, because researchers might duplicate studies that had already been conducted but not published. Some evidence suggests that the problem is getting worse, with fewer negative results seeing the light of day3 over time.

At the crux of both academic misconduct and publication bias is the same ‘publish or perish’ culture, perpetuated by academic institutions, research funders, scholarly journals and scientists themselves, that rewards researchers when they publish findings in prestigious venues, Scheel says.

But these academic gatekeepers have biases, say some critics, who argue that funders and top-tier journals often crave novelty and attention-grabbing findings. Journal editors worry that pages full of null results will attract fewer readers, says Simine Vazire, a psychologist at the University of Melbourne in Australia and editor of the journal Psychological Science.

One of the most significant changes to come out of the replication crisis is the expansion of preregistration (see ‘Registrations on the rise’), in which researchers must state their hypothesis and the outcomes they intend to measure in a public database at the outset of their study (this is already the norm in clinical trials). ... Preliminary data look promising: when Scheel and her colleagues compared the results of 71 registered reports with a random sample of 152 standard psychology manuscripts, they found that 44% of the registered reports had positive results, compared with 96% of the standard publications^7^ (see ‘Intent to publish’). And Nosek and his colleagues found that reviewers scored psychology and neuroscience registered reports higher on metrics of research rigour and quality compared with papers published under the standard model^8^.

ghost archive | Excerpts:

... findings with null or negative results — those that fail to find a relationship between variables or groups, or that go against the preconceived hypothesis — gather dust in favour of studies with positive or significant findings. A 2022 survey of scientists in France, for instance, found that 75% were willing to publish null results they had produced, but only 12.5% were able to do so2. Over time, this bias in publications distorts the scientific record, and a focus on significant results can encourage researchers to selectively report their data or exaggerate the statistical importance of their findings. It also wastes time and money, because researchers might duplicate studies that had already been conducted but not published. Some evidence suggests that the problem is getting worse, with fewer negative results seeing the light of day3 over time.

At the crux of both academic misconduct and publication bias is the same ‘publish or perish’ culture, perpetuated by academic institutions, research funders, scholarly journals and scientists themselves, that rewards researchers when they publish findings in prestigious venues, Scheel says.

But these academic gatekeepers have biases, say some critics, who argue that funders and top-tier journals often crave novelty and attention-grabbing findings. Journal editors worry that pages full of null results will attract fewer readers, says Simine Vazire, a psychologist at the University of Melbourne in Australia and editor of the journal Psychological Science.

One of the most significant changes to come out of the replication crisis is the expansion of preregistration (see ‘Registrations on the rise’), in which researchers must state their hypothesis and the outcomes they intend to measure in a public database at the outset of their study (this is already the norm in clinical trials). ... Preliminary data look promising: when Scheel and her colleagues compared the results of 71 registered reports with a random sample of 152 standard psychology manuscripts, they found that 44% of the registered reports had positive results, compared with 96% of the standard publications^7^ (see ‘Intent to publish’). And Nosek and his colleagues found that reviewers scored psychology and neuroscience registered reports higher on metrics of research rigour and quality compared with papers published under the standard model^8^.

Over 1,000 cases of streptococcal toxic shock syndrome (STSS) were reported in Japan in the first six months of 2024, surpassing the total number recorded last year in the country.

Andrew Steer, director of infection, immunity and global health at Murdoch Children’s Research Institute in Melbourne, Australia has warned that those suffering from STSS often have no prior warning signs.

“You tend to be well, and then become acutely quite sick,” he said, adding that a sunburn-like rash could also be one of the first indications of infection.

The US reported 145 cases of STSS in 2021.

See also: https://www.diseasedaily.org/2024/07/23/the-rise-of-streptococcal-toxic-shock-syndrome-stss-in-japan/

Trump judge. Heavy Project 2025 vibes. archive

A federal judge in Texas on Tuesday cast new doubt on the National Labor Relations Board’s ability to oversee labor disputes, agreeing with Elon Musk’s SpaceX that the agency’s board members and administrative law judges are likely serving unconstitutionally.

SpaceX faces a range of labor complaints, including at least two complaints to the NLRB, amid a broader conservative push to limit the power of federal regulatory agencies. Along with SpaceX, other major companies including Amazon and Starbucks have filed legal challenges to the NLRB’s authority.

SpaceX noted that NLRB board members and administrative law judges — like many federal civil servants — are nonpolitical appointees and therefore can’t be fired at-will by the president. The company claims the board members therefore are “unconstitutionally insulated from the president’s oversight," making the board's action an unlawful attempt to "subject SpaceX to an administrative proceeding."

In an order on Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Alan Albright agreed. Finding SpaceX was likely to succeed on its claims that NLRB officials were serving unconstitutionally, he issued an injunction blocking the NLRB hearing.

Albright, a Donald Trump appointee, acknowledged in his order that "there is a strong public interest in providing employees a mechanism to vindicate their NLRA rights." Nonetheless, he found that "Congress exceeds its power when it attempts to neuter the president’s constitutional power to remove and control executive officers."

A paywalled article: https://news.bloomberglaw.com/daily-labor-report/spacexs-constitutional-challenge-to-nlrb-gets-judicial-support

Two people were thrown into the ocean after a humpback whale landed on their fishing boat off the New Hampshire coast on Tuesday morning, and the entire incident was caught on video.

The Coast Guard also confirmed that the men who were on the boat were recovered by other boaters and brought to Great Bay Marina.

Edit: ghost archive

Per author, if the treat passes as-is, it will hurt security and stifle speech.

while this treaty creates broad powers to fight things governments dislike, simply by branding them "cybercrime," it actually undermines the fight against cybercrime itself. Most cybercrime involves exploiting security defects in devices and services – think of ransomware attacks – and the Cybercrime Treaty endangers the security researchers who point out these defects, creating grave criminal liability for the people we rely on to warn us when the tech vendors we rely upon have put us at risk.

This is the granddaddy of tech free speech fights. Since the paper tape days, researchers who discovered defects in critical systems have been intimidated, threatened, sued and even imprisoned for blowing the whistle. Tech giants insist that they should have a veto over who can publish true facts about the defects in their products, and dress up this demand as concern over security.

Time and again, we've seen corporations rationalize their way into suppressing or ignoring bug reports.

The idea that users are safer when bugs are kept secret is called "security through obscurity" and no one believes in it – except corporate executives. As Bruce Schneier says, "Anyone can design a system that is so secure that they themselves can't break it. That doesn't mean it's secure – it just means that it's secure against people stupider than the system's designer"

the Cybercrime Treaty creates new obligations on signatories to help other countries' cops and courts silence and punish security researchers who make these true disclosures, ensuring that spies and criminals will know which products aren't safe to use, but we won't (until it's too late)

Their new, 23rd album =1 follows a run of chart hits including top 10 records Infinite (2017) and Whoosh! (2020), suggesting a band in late-career resurgence. Driven, perhaps, by the fact that their audience seems to consist almost entirely of horn-waving Benjamin Buttons.

“It’s very exciting,” Gillan enthuses. “About 15 years ago, something weird happened. There was a whole new generation of fans. Our audiences from about 2009 or 2010 onwards have been mainly 15- to 22-year-olds. That’s been a great input of energy in the shows.”

“In the Seventies we just broke up,” he says. “Everyone’s seen Spinal Tap and that’s pretty much what happens. Outside influences come in, too much money, ‘we’re immortal’, all that rubbish. Then you go off and you try to do things individually and realize it’s the collective effort that really made it work.

See also:

• musicradar: Ian praises Paice, recall Yes confrontation
• loudersound: Ian touts Black Sabbath as more influential than Purple or Zeppelin
• short 2018 metalinjection piece with a bit more about joining Black Sabbath

Harris’s move to seek permission to use the hit song comes after the co-writer of a song used in Donald Trump’s rallies spoke out to reveal his disapproval.

At the Republican National Convention last week – days after surviving an assassination attempt – Trump walked on stage to the song Hold On, I’m Coming.

The co-writer of the Sam & Dave’s 1966 hit David Porter told The Independent that the 78-year-old former president had never asked for permission to use his music in his political campaign.

“I can say [that] I don’t want any of my songs used for political campaigns,” he said. “We create music for uplifting people, not separating them.”

ghost archive | cnn coverage

In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, the long-time associate of The Black Swan author Nassim Nicholas Taleb said a severe crash is on the way and stocks could lose more than half their value, while acknowledging that his latest warning should come as no surprise.

“I think we’re on the way to something really, really bad—but of course I’d say that,” Spitznagel said.

Since Fortune is mostly citing WSJ, here's an archive of that WSJ story. From that source:

Governments have been so active tamping down any conflagration in the economy that the dry brush of debt and other hidden risks have built into the ingredients for a severe blaze.

How should mere mortals without access to tail risk hedges respond to his prediction? Probably by doing nothing, says Spitznagel.

“Cassandras make terrible investors.”

This isn't a new idea, but if you haven't tried doing something like this, I do agree with the author that it is a lovely summer/fall treat -- and the local peaches I'm getting are perfect with a strong cheese. Personally, I add a large shot of tarragon to dressings like the one given.

Italicized items in the below are my comments and not from the article.

archive

So, the magic formula is this: Choose two seasonal fruits, a cheese (feta, blue or goat cheese) and a nut (walnuts, sliced almonds or pecans). These are the changeable elements. The other ingredients stay the same as does the dressing, which let me say is an exquisitely balanced vinaigrette made with apple cider vinegar, raw honey and extra-virgin olive oil - a veritable health-giving trifecta on its own. The dressing makes the salad.

Ingredients:

• 2 bunches or 2 regular clamshells mixed greens (a partial head of red leaf lettuce and baby spinach also works fine)
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or sliced almonds, toasted
• “2 fruits” sliced thinly (one type of fruit would also be fine)
• 1/4 red onion, peeled, sliced paper thin (I need more onion than that!)
• 1/3 cup crumbled feta, goat or blue cheese (this list can be widened to any strong cheese, like limburger. manchego, or even a sharp provolone either common or boutique -- but not a mild cheese like typical grocery store cheddar or brie ... though an Epoisses de Bourgogne would work)
• Salt & Pepper
• (I might add thin sliced radishes and/or julienned carrots for color/variety)

Dressing:

• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar (I'm tired of cider vinegar and often use rice wine, champagne, or other vinegars)
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 shallot, peeled
• 1 clove garlic, peeled
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• ( I add tarragon, but any one of several other herbs would also be nice)

“Today I want to offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of our party this year. Democrats — it’s time to come together and beat Trump. Let’s do this,” he added.

"It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your President. And while it has been my intention to seek reelection, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and to focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term," Biden wrote.

Edit: He's endorsing Harris. all the news sites have live feeds.

• https://www.reuters.com/world/us/biden-pulls-out-presidential-race-live-2024-07-21/
• https://apnews.com/live/biden-trump-election-campaign-updates
• https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4784442-live-updates-biden-drops-out-2024-race/
• https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/biden-trump-election-07-21-24/index.html