Interesting Links for 19-02-2013

[andrewducker]

• Did you know how hilarious the patch notes to the sims are
  (tags: errors programming thesims funny viaSkreidle )
• True Things About Alan Moore (a short comic, by Neil Gaiman)
  (tags: alanmoore comic NeilGaiman )
• 90% of all claims about the problems with medical studies are wrong
  (tags: medicine research science statistics )
• Canadian astronaut

Comments

[philmophlegm]

Funny, but I still think the Crusader Kings II patch notes are funnier:
http://philmophlegm.livejournal.com/268815.html

[andrewducker]

There are some good ones there.

[bart_calendar]

Why can't the Grim Reaper get any action?

[ashfae]

Yeah, poor guy's got a permanent boner.

[doubtingmichael]

The Sims patch notes are indeed, hilarious. I have at least one friend in the real world who would have benefited from having that patch installed, as would her infant child.

[steer]

I'm interested to know more. I'd assumed that, for medicine, the Cochrane Collaboration was pretty much "gold standard". I know in other fields the meta analysis can be a way to justify "I think this and all my friends agree" but I'd assumed that the Cochrane was somewhat above this... but from reading the opinions of others not from any evidence.

In general, both articles and meta-analyses can be wrong and contain bias. If I had time to read just one paper on the subject I'd probably pick the meta-analysis even knowing the weaknesses of the genre.

[steer]

My knowledge of biology is near zero so I can't possibly judge the badness of your antioxidants example

[skreidle]

Hadfield IAmA: Coolest thing I've read in the last day or two. :)

Did you catch his musical performance with BNL and the Wexford Gleeks? http://music.cbc.ca/blogs/2013/2/Space-jam-watch-the-premiere-of-ISS-Is-Somebody-Singing

[andrewducker]

I hadn't, but that's awesome!