«12. . .1,8731,8741,8751,8761,8771,8781,879. . .2,6462,647»
I mean, I would probably suggest the opposite to what you've said about the natural sciences, but we do agree in a general sense. Much of our current understanding of physics is based on supposition; it's a "scientific" subject to the extent that it's applied mathematics. Chemistry, and to a greater extent biology, I would consider to be more "scientific" in the sense that hypotheses in those subjects are deduced from real and reproducible observations which (if done properly) do not change based on the particular equation you choose. Biology is messy in the sense that the real world is often surprising and unexpected - but then, since the real world is unexpected, surely the best scientific method is able to deal with the unexpected instead of assuming that the unexpected will not occur.
Of course, such distinction is meaningless because none of those three subjects could exist without the others. From my personal experience, collaboration usually provides the best results possible (different methods, unique perspectives and all that) - and this extends to the social sciences too. The best research of modern psychology incorporates neuroscience, the best studies of history incorporate genetics, the best work in the field of anthropology incorporates zoology, the best work in archaeology incorporates organic chemistry etc.
That's real sh*t about your adviser - I know first hand that the person who supervises your research project can make or break the experience, and thankfully I've been more or less lucky so far. I'm sure you know that p-values are used outside of the social sciences and, while somewhat arbitrary, the line for statistical significance has to be drawn somewhere. However, any scientist worth their salt will tell you that a p-value of 0.0501 could fall either way - the answer is really to investigate further - and (although it would upset your advisor) p=0.0499 is exactly the same. But as you've already mentioned, f*ck your supervisor.
Atsvea, Lord Dominator, Turbeaux, Outer Bele Levy Epies, and 2 othersMiddle Barael, and Julunaphra
I am proud to announce that I have driven my average lifespan down below 18 years, currently at 17.99 years.
This is a great achievement of [insert species] will and dedication to self-destruction
:P
Sacara, Mount Seymour, Atsvea, Ruinenlust, and 8 othersHoneydewistania, Turbeaux, Outer Bele Levy Epies, Terrabod, Girelna, Middle Barael, The young ur, and Julunaphra
Probably one of my favorite all-time lines from literature from the beginning of The Restaurant at the End of the Universe:
"In the beginning, the Universe was created.
This has made a lot of people very angry and been widely regarded as a bad move."
My question to you all: what are some memorable lines that you have read that still stick with you?
Atsvea, Ruinenlust, Lord Dominator, Turbeaux, and 4 othersOuter Bele Levy Epies, Middle Barael, The young ur, and Julunaphra
Sure, and mathematics is essentially applied philosophy, so ultimately all scientific endeavor and the Scientific Method itself is based on ultimately unknowable assumptions. Chief of them being that there is an objective reality out there to begin with. Personally, I think you're all figments of my demented imagination.
But yeah, I was thinking right after I posted and calmed down a bit that, say, quantum mechanics is a thing and so even something as "pure" as physics gets really weird. Or "non-linear" as I've heard it described. But even then, the distinction is whether reproducible observations can test hypotheses; as wholly bizarre as tensor fields seem to me, the hypothesis implies test conditions that a gigantic machine can actually consistently and accurately produce. At least once all the cables are screwed in properly.
What we need is a similar mechanism for people that doesn't instantly become some sort of Milgram Stanford horror machine.
See, that's exactly the thing. If p-value is the probability of an observation at least as extreme assuming the null hypothesis, then there is essentially no difference between p=0.0499 and p=0.0501. Or, rather, the difference is so vanishingly tiny that who gives a f*ck for any practical purpose? But no. Elsevier says that any p>0.05 means you found absolutely nothing and your research is shi*ty garbage that wasted some faceless editors time.
And I question whether a line or cutoff point needs to be drawn anywhere. All that is really needed is a nice table that reports observed effect, said effect's magnitude (which is way more important than "statistical significance" anyway, since it's possible to find a vanishingly tiny effect at the p=0.0000000000000000000000001 level; again, who gives a f*ck?), and p-level.
Then in the next paragraph, I explain why I think it's important ("This was so damned close to p=0.05 that this BEGS for more study with more/better data, so GO!") followed by an invitation to the reader to decide.
But, of course, the problems are two fold: 1) I'd be expressing my personal opinion which is "biased" and "not objective," and 2) Elsevier says p=0.05 is the magick number.
I won't bother explaining why 1) is complete bullsh*t (cause I'd be repeating myself) and I assume the problems with scientific publishing are already well known. :)
---
I really need to stop cursing so much. I'm sitting here trying to hunt down all the "naughty" words in this post so the RMB will let me post, and I'm beginning to get annoyed. o_0
Atsvea, Ruinenlust, Lord Dominator, Turbeaux, and 4 othersOuter Bele Levy Epies, Terrabod, Middle Barael, and Julunaphra
Not to botch the quote, but my favorite quote is possibly from the Hitchhikers Guide regarding the Vogon deconstructer ships: "They hung in the sky exactly the way that bricks don't."
If that's not the best metaphor of all time I don't know what is.
Sacara, Mount Seymour, Atsvea, Lord Dominator, and 5 othersTurbeaux, Outer Bele Levy Epies, Middle Barael, The young ur, and Julunaphra
Yeah, I guess my main gripe there is that, while it's bad scientific practice, some social scientists - and some natural scientists - think that by adding a p-value to qualitative results that they then magically becomes quantitative. Uh no, that's not how it works. But as you say the publishers are the main antagonists here because they're so out of touch as to what constitutes good science and high quality research.
With regards to the problem (1) you discuss, that's a perfectly reasonable conclusion to come to and a big thing in STEM (but maybe not social science) at the moment is that you should be publishing work that either (a) doesn't support your hypothesis or (b) doesn't allow you to come to any conclusion so long as your methodology wasn't flawed. In the past research that came to a neatly predicted conclusion was prioritised, but in many cases this is less informative, and leaves substantial gaps in our scientific knowledge, compared to results that are a little bit 'messier'. If this recent drive doesn't translate to social science, well, it's their loss.
Atsvea, Ruinenlust, Lord Dominator, Turbeaux, and 3 othersOuter Bele Levy Epies, Middle Barael, and Julunaphra
Qualitative vs. Quantitative is a different beast, although there is a popular current in social science that things have to be numbery in order to be "science." Numberiness doesn't make it "science" any more than lack of numberiness makes it not.
The Scientific Method itself is a qualitative work; at least, I'm not aware of any statistical study or controlled experiment that demonstrates its validity to p<0.05.
Of course. If proper scientific method is to disprove one's own cherished hypothesis, then the journals should be filled with studies that found nothing and can draw no conclusions. Unfortunately, "we don't know yet, and all conclusions are always contingent on future data" doesn't sell copy.
I think what I was more getting at though (and didn't convey well) is the normative conclusions that follow any legitimate study; those are the bias that are supposedly "bad," even though all scientific study is, ultimately, normatively loaded. If only because individual scientists ultimately decide by some subjective critera what they are interested in studying to begin with. I refuse to believe that anyone studies anything because they don't anticipate some sort of prescriptive and normative action down the line. That is what needs to come out into the open because there isn't anything wrong with it to begin with, and also precisely because it is likely to affect the planning and execution of scientific study.
Pretending we're all norm-free robots implementing a perfectly objective Method with a perfectly objective and precise decision point is precisely how we get to the noted publication nonsense.
edit: for instance, according to Wikipedia:
In the applied sciences, normative science is a type of information that is developed, presented, or interpreted based on an assumed, usually unstated, preference for a particular outcome, policy or class of policies or outcomes.[1] Regular or traditional science does not presuppose a policy preference, but normative science, by definition, does.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Normative_science
I would challenge in the strongest terms the notion that "traditional science does not presuppose a policy preference" because of course it does, and it needs to stop pretending otherwise. Although, to be fair, I would also challenge "normative science" to state it assumed preferences openly and with gusto.
Atsvea, Ruinenlust, Lord Dominator, Turbeaux, and 4 othersOuter Bele Levy Epies, Terrabod, Middle Barael, and Julunaphra
Most of the papers I've read do, but then we're clearly members of very different subject areas.
Mount Seymour, Atsvea, Lord Dominator, Turbeaux, and 3 othersOuter Bele Levy Epies, Middle Barael, and Julunaphra
You've read papers that test the Scientific Method directly? I've only ever read philosophers who draw conclusions from convenient assumptions.
Unless one means that one has read studies that draw seemingly consistent and meaningful conclusions, in which case, all that has really been demonstrated is that our cognitive hallucinations are neatly collective.
edit: no wait, I think you read my statement to mean "I've never read a study that drew conclusions to p<0.05"? Of course, I have. Rather, the "its" there is "the scientific method." I'm not aware of any empirical confirmation of the assumptions of the Scientific Method...
Mount Seymour, Atsvea, Lord Dominator, Turbeaux, and 4 othersOuter Bele Levy Epies, Terrabod, Middle Barael, and Julunaphra
Yeah I didn't understand the way it was worded haha.
Mount Seymour, Atsvea, Ruinenlust, Lord Dominator, and 5 othersTurbeaux, Outer Bele Levy Epies, Nattily dressed anarchists on bicycles, Middle Barael, and Julunaphra
I'm going to do this thing where every Friday, Monday, and Wednesday. I'm gonna say a riddle and you all have to figure out what the answer is. Here is the first riddle for ¨Riddle of the Week¨"thats what im gonna start calling this. Ok here it is for real now. DO NOT SEARCH UP THE ANSWER.
I speak without a mouth and hear without ears. I have no body, but I come alive with wind. What am I?
Atsvea, Ruinenlust, Lord Dominator, Turbeaux, and 6 othersOuter Bele Levy Epies, Terrabod, Northern Wood, Roless, Middle Barael, and Julunaphra
I reckon that at least every other line in everything Iain M. Banks can compete, if not dominate. At any rate, my favorite, if not a metaphor:
I am, as I have always been, of the opinion that while the niceties of normal moral constraints should be our guides, they must not be our masters. - Excession, Iain M. Banks
I'm still waiting for the movie, if only because we need to set the stage for Surface Detail so that I can eventually buy the scale model of Falling Outside the Normal Moral Constraints ._.
Atsvea, Lord Dominator, Turbeaux, Outer Bele Levy Epies, and 3 othersNorthern Wood, Middle Barael, and Julunaphra
Ah but that one isnt funny.
Atsvea, Lord Dominator, Turbeaux, Outer Bele Levy Epies, and 3 othersNorthern Wood, Middle Barael, and Julunaphra
Although not appearing as a character until a couple of books after that quote, please be assured that GOU Falling Outside the Normal Moral Constraints is wickedly hilarious.
._.
Atsvea, Lord Dominator, Turbeaux, Outer Bele Levy Epies, and 3 othersNorthern Wood, Middle Barael, and Julunaphra
Hey 
McClandia Doge 2, good to see you back in Forest!
Sacara, Atsvea, Lord Dominator, Turbeaux, and 4 othersOuter Bele Levy Epies, Northern Wood, Middle Barael, and Julunaphra
We don't actually know one another, but I always appreciated your nation's style. When I first joined this site some three or four years ago, this region stood out for its many talented and diverse nations, yourself standing out among them. Sorry to hear that it shall soon be leaving us. Take care, Isaac.
Sacara, Atsvea, Ruinenlust, Lord Dominator, and 5 othersTurbeaux, Outer Bele Levy Epies, Wernher Magnus Maximilian Von Braun, Middle Barael, and Julunaphra
Is it a windchime?
Ruinenlust, Lord Dominator, Turbeaux, Outer Bele Levy Epies, and 3 othersRoless, Middle Barael, and Julunaphra
Effazio, Autonomousness, Atsvea, Lord Dominator, and 7 othersHoneydewistania, Turbeaux, Outer Bele Levy Epies, Terrabod, Apabeossie, Cat-herders united, and Julunaphra
Eh, I've heard this one and know the answer. It uses a LOT of poetic license, to the point of being arguably insolubly inaccurate.
Anyway, the answer that isn't correct here is "Donald Trump", because he speaks on Twitter, hears but doesn't listen, has an awful body, and is full of wind. It's a better answer than the proper one.
The proper one.
Proper one.
Mount Seymour, Atsvea, Lord Dominator, Hoochlandia, and 5 othersTurbeaux, Outer Bele Levy Epies, McClandia Doge 2, Middle Barael, and Julunaphra
The whole speak with no mouth and hear with no ears or variations is cliché anyway
Oh, I just googled it. I speak without a mouth and have no body, ok, but hear without ears and come alive with the wind? It’s just taking the piss at this point
https://m.republicworld.com/entertainment-news/whats-viral/i-speak-without-a-mouth-riddle-that-will-test-your-creative-thinking.html “This simple riddle can be solved by anyone with some creative thinking.” go to hell republicworld
Lord Dominator, Turbeaux, Outer Bele Levy Epies, Middle Barael, and 1 otherJulunaphra
“Leader is known for giving great back rubs.” - Issue Resolved Screen
Atsvea, Lord Dominator, Hoochlandia, Turbeaux, and 4 othersOuter Bele Levy Epies, Apabeossie, Middle Barael, and Saint Cinder
Atsvea, Lord Dominator, Outer Bele Levy Epies, and Julunaphra
I'm actually curious what you mean. What is my style that you liked?
I'm happy to have helped :)
Good luck too, my dude.
<3
Atsvea, Ruinenlust, Lord Dominator, Honeydewistania, and 5 othersTurbeaux, Canaltia, Outer Bele Levy Epies, Noahs Fifth Country, and Julunaphra
See ya!
Atsvea, Lord Dominator, Turbeaux, Outer Bele Levy Epies, and 1 otherJulunaphra
The only leader you can trust to have your back!
Ownzone, Atsvea, Lord Dominator, Turbeaux, and 3 othersOuter Bele Levy Epies, Middle Barael, and Julunaphra
«12. . .1,8731,8741,8751,8761,8771,8781,879. . .2,6462,647»
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