Dispatches from the statistics wars

Posted on August 24, 2019 by Evan Arnet

Four soldiers side by side in front of a low-flying helicopter. — The statistics wars are in full swing. *Photo by Somchai Kongkamsri and licensed by Pexels*.

We recently took a guided tour of statistical significance, in which we focused on how the media often fails to correctly interpret statistical information. But, journalists are not the only group that is tripped up by statistics. The scientific community itself has been engaged in deep debate about the proper use of statistical methodology. These debates have been so intense that some have referred to them as the “Statistics Wars.” The latest salvo was a statement in Nature, the world’s premier scientific journal, signed by over 800 scientists and statisticians calling for the end of statistical significance.

Just what is it about statistical significance that gets scientists so worked up?

(more…)

From models to the world’s biodiversity: How a theoretical biologist predicts the effects of environmental change

Posted on August 17, 2019 by Abby Kimmitt

Upon establishing the Environmental Resilience Institute (ERI) at Indiana University, the leaders and visionaries reported four main goals. The first goal stated that the supported research would create “accurate predictions about coming changes in weather patterns, water, plants and animals, and disease risk.” This goal focused on directly predicting what Hoosiers would have to face, such as economically-costly extreme weather conditions or an increase in tick-borne diseases. Equally important, the ERI wanted to create predictions about biodiversity, an indicator of the health of an ecosystem that provides countless services to society.

Enter Dr. Jason Bertram, a theoretical biologist.

(more…)

World Elephant Day

Posted on August 10, 2019 by Chloe Holden

World Elephant Day, coming up on Monday, August 12th, was established in 2012 as a way to celebrate these wonderful mammals and promote conservation efforts. There are two main genus’ alive today: the African elephant (Loxodonta) and the Asian elephant (Elephas). The African elephant genus is split between two species the African bush elephant (Loxodonta africana) and the African forest elephant (Loxodonta cyclotis). Only one species of the Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) is still alive today. (more…)

Graduating ScIU Writers 2019

Posted on July 27, 2019 by Jennifer Sieben

Our blog would be nothing without our writers. Unfortunately they can’t stay here forever; they must go on to their next great adventures in life. So we wanted to take a moment to recognize a few of our authors who have recently left or are preparing to leave soon. We wish you all the very best in your careers! (more…)

Apollo 11: 5 photos (and 1 video) you might not see in the news

Posted on July 20, 2019 by Jennifer Sieben

The anniversary of the first steps on the moon is today and undoubtedly you’ve seen a lot of images from the landing. News media love to show the footprints, the saluting of the flag, and the Earth-rise over the lunar surface. However there are many pictures that get overlooked. So here we present 5 photos (and 1 video) from Apollo 11 that you won’t see in the news.

(more…)

The power of quantum computing: Parallelism

Posted on July 13, 2019 by Guest Contributor

The author is ScIU guest writer AJ Rasmusson, a graduate student in IU’s Department of Physics.

Tech companies are going big in a microscopic way, pouring millions of dollars into a new form of computing: quantum computing. Quantum computers will revolutionize drug research, material discovery, and artificial intelligence by solving complex problems in a new way. To understand this, let’s review how normal computers solve problems and compare this to how a quantum computer would do it.

The picture shows three serious problems quantum computing could solve: a cure for cancer, boosting food production, and breaking computer encryption codes. They are some of the overly optimistic outcomes of quantum computers. — The hope of what quantum computers can do. Though many of these goals are far away, scientists are cautiously optimistic that a quantum computer of the future will accomplish them. This figure came from the EPiQC zine on quantum computing.

Today’s computers use billions upon billions of 0’s and 1’s called bits to represent information like numbers, words, images, etc. To watch a movie or simulate life-saving chemical reactions in medicine, a processor in the computer takes a group of bits and modifies them according to programmed instructions. For example, to watch Infinity War, your computer processes more than 16 billion bits. By repeating this process very quickly, your computer can turn a file of 0’s and 1’s into moving images on your display or store answers to complex math equations in a new file.

Quantum computers take a different approach to information processing. Instead of solving a problem one outcome at a time, a quantum computer computes every possible outcome simultaneously. To understand the power of that statement (and what it even means) let’s consider an example. (more…)

Back to the Stone Age: Why study primate archaeology?

Posted on July 6, 2019 by Chloe Holden

In 1960, Jane Goodall observed a chimpanzee, whom she named David Greybeard, deep in the Tanzanian jungle using a stick to fish for termites. This discovery was the first documented observation of a chimpanzee using tools in the wild and quashed the long-held view that humans are unique in their ability to make and use tools. Although many other animals, including all great ape species, have since been observed using tools, our closest living relatives, the chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes), are by far the most adept non-human species at making and using tools in the wild. Chimpanzees have been observed using over 40 different tool types in their repertoire, including tools for feeding behaviors, grooming, comfort, protection, socialization, and even curiosity. Therefore, they are the most widely studied tool-using species, both in the wild and captivity. In recent years, researchers have started exploring how studies of primate tool use can help us learn about ourselves and our extinct ancestors.

An artist's interpretation of the human ancestor from the species Australopithecus afarensis. This species looks similar to modern chimpanzees however they walk upright on two legs instead of on all four limbs like chimpanzees. — Artistic reconstruction of a human ancestor nicknamed Lucy. Lucy is assigned to the species *Australopithecus afarensis* and is suspected to be one of the first human ancestors to use stone tools. Image credited to Michael Hagelberg, Arizona State University Research Magazine.

(more…)

Collection is not curation: artifact hunting and personal collections

Posted on June 29, 2019 by Guest Contributor

This is a ScIU guest post by Krystiana Krupa, a Ph.D. candidate in IU’s Department of Anthropology and Research Associate for IU NAGPRA, and Molly Msener, a Ph.D. student in IU’s Department of Anthropology and Graduate Assistant for IU NAGPRA

Colored image that reads “archaeological preservation” and includes a list of some of the American laws that protect archaeological sites. — Photo Credit WikiHow “How to Protect and Preserve Archaeological Sites” by Jennifer Mueller, JD

It is common practice for hikers to pick up artifacts that they find on or near trails, or to walk through cornfields and survey the ground for stray arrowheads. Plenty of people have personal artifact collections — the viral FBI case from 2014 is not a unique scenario. While artifact collecting might seem to cause no harm, because of the legal and ethical issues associated with finding and collecting artifacts, it is usually best practice to leave artifacts or human remains where you find them. However, in cases where the site, burial, or artifact is in danger of being damaged or looted, it may be necessary to call an appropriate preservation or conservation official to report the location of that material. In this post, we will walk through a couple of examples of potential scenarios, including steps to take if action is required.

(more…)

Conflating mental illness with the supernatural and occult

Posted on June 22, 2019 by Alexandra Moussa-Tooks

Disclaimer: Spoilers for the film Hereditary present throughout this piece!

I have seen hundreds of horror films; in fact, I even began my graduate school personal statement on the topic. As a shameless horror fan, I am often asked, with perplexed and disgusted looks, “Why?” I am fascinated by the psychological processes —decision making, sensory perception, emotion regulation, acute and chronic stress effects— being tested and explored within these films and the effects of the processes on the viewer — the ability to elicit an emotion such as fear or disgust through a set of quickly flashed images, despite the rational knowledge that you are safe in your home. I think that horror films and how we interpret them is closely tied to humanity’s history with and persistent views on mental health.

Many horror films craft characters that exhibit stereotypes of mental health illness — for example, the Babadook (major depressive disorder/prolonged grief), Donnie Darko (psychosis), The Visit (mental health facility escapees), Identity and Split (dissociative identity disorder). Regardless of accuracy, what does it mean when a film intentionally or unintentionally portrays clinical features? To consider this question, I will unpack a recent film, Hereditary.

(more…)

The perils of publish or perish

Posted on June 15, 2019 by Evan Arnet

Academia is a tough career choice. The pay is low (especially for graduate students), the hours are long, and the job market is uncertain. Those entering the field often receive this simple advice — “publish or perish.” Publications are the central method by which people are evaluated in academia. One either continually publishes papers, ideally before other researchers working on similar topics, or watches as their career tanks. They may miss out on a job, fail to secure resources for their research, or get passed over for tenure. In fact, a host of tools and metrics which let scholars evaluate their publishing success has developed alongside this pressure to publish in prestigious journals. These tools can track the simple number of publications, to the citation count of a paper (how many other papers cite it), to the journal impact factor, even to the convoluted h-index metric.

The arcane details of all these metrics are of little interest to anyone not seeking a career as a scientist or other academic, but what should matter to everyone is how the incentive to publish no matter what can lead to bad science. (more…)

ScIUConversations in Science at Indiana University