Saturday, May 14, 2011

Some science links, May 14th

Razib Khan responds to Edge question 2011 WHAT SCIENTIFIC CONCEPT WOULD IMPROVE EVERYBODY'S COGNITIVE TOOLKIT? with a quote from John Ioannidis "There is increasing concern that most current published research findings are false....."

With that proviso here are some research reports that I found interesting.

Blind fish in dark caves shed light on the evolution of sleep (via 3quarksdaily)

Why sons inherit their mother’s curse.

Artificial Grammar Reveals Inborn Language Sense, Study Shows

Language Log in Let me count the ways has a quote of Cosma Shalizi which echoes Razib Khan's worries: "While perhaps not a truly epic fail, this is not a creditable performance. The paper probes a hugely complex tangle of issues relating individual minds, communication, social norms, artistic expression, social change and cultural transformation. There is no shame in not unraveling the whole snarl at once, but between the incompetent data analysis, the failure of logical imagination, and the deep misunderstanding of how works of art are made and used, it does nothing to advance our knowledge of anything."

2 comments:

Razib Khan said...

y u keep using the "j" form of my name?

gaddeswarup said...

Oops. I misspell often. Will change it.