Category Archives: Uncategorized

As I have some time free…

Posted on October 18, 2023 by Bob O'H

I was recently encouraged by a certain gentleman of this parish to return to blogging. Great, I thought, but when will I get the time? But over the weekend I was struck down by Lurgy-19, and as this is a … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Why p-values should be interpreted as more than p-values

Posted on November 22, 2021 by Bob O'H

Last week some of us published a paper trying to improve the way p-values are interpreted by suggesting this be done on a more continuous scale (here’s another link to the paper: hopefully one will go to a readable version). … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment

The Breakthrough Prize Doesn’t

Posted on November 11, 2014 by Bob O'H

Yesterday the recipients of next year’s Breakthrough Prize were announced. We’re told that these are meant to “elevate scientists to rock-star status” and to “inspire the next generation of scientists”. If that’s the aim, then they are going to be … Continue reading →

Posted in The Society of Science, Uncategorized | Tagged , | 5 Comments

Detonation Aftermath

Posted on February 4, 2014 by Bob O'H

Sunday was a Big Day in Frankfurt. Next to the building where I work there is – or rather was – an ugly tower block, the AfE tower. We only move into our building last summer, and the whole time … Continue reading →

Posted in Aaaaaagh, Uncategorized | 4 Comments

The most pathetic journal spam yet

Posted on December 4, 2013 by Bob O'H

After the Bohannon fun, we’re all more aware of predatory publishers trying to get our money to publish any old crap. You would have thought they would have been aware of his, and at least made an attempt to look … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Off to the other side of the world

Posted on April 8, 2013 by Bob O'H

This is just a brief announcement to explain that as this publishes I should be off on my travels again. This time I’m going further than ever before (no, I’m not travelling by standing on the shoulders of giants). I’m … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 12 Comments

Making reviewing boring stuff less boring

Posted on March 20, 2013 by Bob O'H

Over at the Scholarly Kitchen, everyone’s favourite source material for winding up OA advocates, Phil Davis asked about something only tangentially related: Do Uninteresting Papers Really Need Peer Review? In it he lays out a view that is perhaps selfish, … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 20 Comments

Prizes Straight from the Pits of Hell

Posted on October 8, 2012 by Bob O'H

This should make predicting this year’s science Nobels easier. Last month, Republican congressman Paul Broun, who also happens to be a member of the US House of Representatives science committee, described evolution, the big bang theory and embryology as ‘lies … Continue reading →

Posted in Silliness, Uncategorized | 8 Comments

Altmetrics: what’s the point?

Posted on September 25, 2012 by Bob O'H

A couple of weeks ago Stephen (of this parish) generated a lot of discussion when he complained about the journal impact factor (JIF). I must admit I feel a bit sorry for the JIF. It’s certainly not perfect, but it’s … Continue reading →

Posted in The Society of Science, Uncategorized | 41 Comments

A new really old version of The Elements

Posted on September 7, 2012 by Bob O'H

I hope you’re all fans out Tom Lehrer (“Mr. Lehrer’s muse [is] not fettered by such inhibiting factors as taste.” – NYT, apparently). Well, via those Improbable Research (“Mr. Abraham’s muse [is] not fettered by such inhibiting factors as taste.” … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 3 Comments