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Comment: Re:Understanding statistics ... (Score 1) 276

by brillow (#43511331) Attached to: Terrible Advice From a Great Scientist

Yeah and Wilson agrees with this. NO ONE does stats by themselves though. We use a computer to do it. I understand what mathematical theory underlies an ANOVA or a Bonferroni correction or a Spearmann rank, but I could not do the math.

What do I do then when I do these things which I do all the time?

I use a computer. I use R.

This is what E.O. is saying.

This will do everything 99% of biologist eed to do. If you ever finding yourself really needing something high-level, you find a collaborator.

Saying all scientists must know tons of math is like saying all home-owners need to be master electricians or plumbers. Home owners should probably know the basics of how pipes and wires work and should probably be able to unclog a toilet and change a lightbulb, but if they need something real done they are probably best to call an expert. It's not like they couldn't figure it out of they had to and had time, but an expert will be less hassle and will probably do a better job.

This is what he is saying.

Comment: I am a biologist (Score 1) 276

by brillow (#43511313) Attached to: Terrible Advice From a Great Scientist

He's absolutely right. There are some biologist (some bioinformaticists) who need to be real math pros and the ones that are have a distinct advantage. However, most biologists aren't and they do fine.

For instance, to do qPCR (a way to quantify gene expression) requires a lot of mathematical calculations, essentially calculus and linear algebra. You don't need to know them though because there is great software which does it for you. You do need to understand what its doing though to use it. I've seen people use it poorly because they don't understand it.

So you need "intuition" about how calculus and algebra work, bu you don't need to do it. I know what an integral is. I know what a linear transformation is and how it can be used. I could not though for the life of me integrate or derive anything myself on paper.

30 years ago you could say the same thing for an accountant. They needed to be an absolute whiz with not calculus but also arithmatic.

Now they have Excel, and they don't need to be a master at doing math, they need to be a master at understanding it.

I think most people don't like what EO said because they think he's against math or math education, and he's not. Do you know how you get math intuition? You take a lot of math classes.

Comment: You don't own as much as you think you do. (Score 1) 317

by brillow (#43208567) Attached to: We Should Be Allowed To Unlock Everything We Own

I mean, I don't OWN a copy of Windows or really probably any piece of software I [didn't really] pay for.

I license it. Even if you made a law saying unlocking is ok, all the phone companies would have to do is retain ownership of the phone and simply license its use to you.

Remember kids: Ownership is not a real thing. It's a thing made up by naked apes so they can fight.

Comment: Re:Someone should do this coal power (Score 0) 482

by brillow (#43184095) Attached to: Windfarm Sickness Spreads By Word of Mouth

I don't think the point of the coal/radiation meme isn't that they are SO radioactive, its that even nuclear plants aren't that radioactive. Even when they meltdown (really every accident except Chernobyl) they radiation is minimal (in the sense that its not like it kills TONS of people).

Comment: Re:You don't have to buy Monsanto seeds (Score 1) 419

by brillow (#43027075) Attached to: Monsanto Takes Home $23m From Small Farmers According To Report

The combine costs a lot more than $120k.

But farmers are not dumb. They have done these calculations. Monsanto seeds do not require greater long-term expense. It is no problem to quit using Monsanto's seeds if the costs are too high. You are not "locked in" to Monsanto's product. Many farmers can and do plant non-GMO seeds and if you've seen the prices of "organic" corn and soybeans you will know you can make money doing this.

If Monsanto's seeds quit being worth the money to plant, farmers would quit planting them.

It is not analogous to say buying MS products for your business. With those you do get locked-in when your Exchange server won't migrate out to a FOSS alternative. Or when your Oracle database system won't export to new products.

With farming though, all you have to do is buy different seeds next year.

Also, many people don't know this, FARMERS (by and large) DO NOT SAVE SEEDS.

Even the non GMO seeds are hybrids with enhanced vigor. If you saved the seeds the "hybrid-vigor" (google that) would not persist. This is not due to scheming by seed companies, this is just how genetics works.

Some people get so into the idea that Monsanto is evil that they forget to think if they are actually making a good product.

Diplomacy is the art of letting the other party have things your way. -- Daniele Vare

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