Friday links
27 Friday Apr 2012
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Ants act socially to prevent spread of fungal infection
Is Google Scholar under threat?
Insect wall charts, of which I imagine there will be several in my cubicle soon
Virus causes behavioural change in L. boulardi. I love microbial behaviour changes! (But not in me. Thanks, viruses!)
06 Friday Apr 2012
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As of yesterday, I have access to my own desk at uni. This is a big deal!
Although I haven’t officially started yet, I still have things to do. In particular, I’m sitting in on a Bayesian stats course, and have had trouble getting time/space to do any study for it. I’ve also missed quite a few lectures because of work, so having somewhere at uni I can just sit and work will be fantastic. I’m in a great building, and the space is so well set up. My group is sharing with other biologists (mostly plant science people), and those few I’ve met seem lovely.
Also as of yesterday I have my very own copy of Bayesian Data Analysis by Gelman et al..
I decided it was worth the $64 investment; if I’m doing Bayesian stats I will use it forever. It’ll be the first textbook to grace my new desk, and probably one of the most useful.
The first things I took to my desk were tea, biscuits, a weekly planner, a phone cable, deodorant, and a spare pair of thongs to kick under the desk. Next week I’ll add a tea cup, coffee mug, lab shoes/coat, a couple of textbooks. What else do I need?
01 Sunday Apr 2012
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inIt may have become apparent by now that I appreciate alliteration.
I don’t love trawling through dozens of journal articles without really knowing how to find what I’m looking for. It’s my fault, really. I’m adamant that I want my project to have the best possible statistical analysis. In my case, that will mean Bayesian inference. I’m committed. I’m so commited. I’m even sitting in on a Bayesian data analysis course at uni, even though I haven’t started my studies yet, and will probably sit through it again when I’ve actually started.
But I’m trying to write my research proposal, and no one has used Bayesian analysis in my area of insecticides. Why not? I don’t know. Too hard? Maybe. All the papers I’ve read for the science bit have stats, but they go as far as a student t-test then stop. And that’s great, in a way, because it means this part of my research will be original, but I still need a starting point.
My attitude is “I have a maths degree, and I’m not stopping at a t-test.” My associate supervisor is a brilliant Bayesian statistician. It would be such a waste to not do the best Bayesian stats I can do. But to get there I first need a reference paper for my research proposal.
Guess I just keep trawling. Thank goodness for Google Scholar!