The Ioannidis Study: Part 2

This post will continue my summary of Dr. John Ioannidis’ study.  Part 1 can be found here. Most Research Findings Are False for Most Research Designs and for Most Fields Ioannidis’ findings here are probably surprising for many.  He writes that a positive predictive value (PPV) exceeding 50% is quite difficult to get.  He writes: […]

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The Ioannidis study: Part 1

Late last year, David Freedman wrote an article for the Atlantic that gained some attention.   The article discussed the work of Dr. John Ioannidis, who, according to wiki, is a professor and chairman at the Department of Hygiene and Epidemiology, University of Ioannina School of Medicine as well as tenured adjunct professor at Tufts University […]

Am I afraid of psi?

Ok, so we hear it all the time: skeptics are stuck in their materialist paradigm because they are afraid of the implications of psi.  I heard this suggested most recently on episode 123 of Skeptiko, but examples abound.  My gut instinct, of course, is to say nonsense!  Why would we be afraid of such things?  […]

US vs THEM

Whether its a discussion about religion, about psi, or any topic involving worldviews, the discussion inevitably degrades into petty insults and jabs.  WE are balanced and thoughtful. THEY are closed minded and obtuse.  It really doesn’t matter which side of the debate you are on (though to say there are only two “sides” is incomplete […]

The Pleasure of Doubt

Hello all! So this is my blog.  Why am I starting it?  Well, I’ve been tuning into the skeptical movement for about a year now, been participating in a few forums, and reading a lot.  I think its time to up my involvement slightly and join the blogosphere. Do I have anything to add to […]