Steven

Hot off the press - our report on gender disparities in grant seeking at the University of Cambridge (who applies for and who gets research grant funding).

https://www.bennettinstitute.cam.ac.uk/publications/improving-inclusivity-in-grant-funding-initial-gender-analysis/

The story:
1) The structural disparities are big (not so surprising)
2) The patterns of disparity at particular grades in particular disciplines go both ways (more surprising)

#ResearchPolicy
#ResearchGrants
#GenderDifferences
#Bayesian

If you like graphs, you'll probably like it!

#RandomCambridgeWindowPicture

For those in need of a bit of tranquility - a pic from three years ago.
#EveningCalm
#Cambridge

The #EveningRun thing seems to be working out at the moment - although that’s mainly because of the #StrugglingToGetOutOfBed thing.
#sunset
#river
#EveningCalm

Spent time carefully testing different mixes of dye to find the colour I wanted.

When I was ready with the shirt I found the dyes had a 'sludge' at the bottom and the bottle said:

'SHAKE WELL before use’

Important lessons:
Personally:
1) Read the instructions more carefully
Professionally:
2) Make sure your experiments are like the real world
Reassuringly:
3) I like most shades of purple…

#Dyeing
#PragmaticTrials
#RealWorldTesting
#Mistakes

Back on the ‘Other platform’ I used to have a series #TheSignForTheLoo as I'm quite into understated design flourishes.

Here's one from #WarwickUniversity conference centre that amused me:

(Would love to know if they experimented with designs which tried to have the wheelchair user obviously in need of the toilet as well)

So which iPhone do you think is my old one and which is my wife’s? This is a lottery where I don't like my chances.

#UserInterfaceFailures
#user_experience_design
#UKRail
#NetworkRail
#ElectronicRailcard

For anyone following along @sfmatheson found the paper. It was in Science in 2016
(something I thought was longer ago, turns out to be more recent, which is unusual).

https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.aaf5239

Thanks to those who boosted:
@natematias
@aidybarnett
@academia

Now to have another go at understanding the maths…

#SciencePolicy #Research #ResearchGrants #SciencePolicy #FundingPolicy #Bibliometrics

Hey Mastodon #SciencePolicy folks - I remember a paper that tried to estimate 'intrinsic scientific talent' (Q-factor?) looking over researchers’ careers, from at least 10 years ago. I think it looked at when in a researchers career they tended to do their most cited work. I remember the maths being beyond me. My search engine skills are failing me - can anyone remember the paper?
#Research
#ResearchGrants
#SciencePolicy
#FundingPolicy
#Bibliometrics

Got some new #Eneloop rechargeable batteries today - pretty much the only rechargeables I use.
Impressed at the new non-plastic packaging. Hopefully better for the environment _and_ easier to use.

#Small_steps
#LessPlasticWaste
#Batteries
#Credit_where_credit_is_due

Turns out infrared thermometers don't get the temperature of water right.
Alerted to this when dying a shirt.
IR thermometer said 85°C - while I wondered why the water was gently bubbling.
Digging out a mercury thermometer revealed why - it was at simmering at 100°C.

The shirt still seems to have dyed okay.

Any physicist care to explain?
#PhysicsMastodon
#PhysicsQuestion
#IRThermometer
#TheNeedForPurple

Definitely the day to dig out the gloves…
#Misty #Frosty #MorningPhotos #Photography #Cambridge #MidsummerCommon

Trying to work out the simplest way to find out if my team’s Windows permissions allow them to compile Stan models. Have assumed that compiling models is like compiling packages (is that a good assumption?)
I've come up with:
1. Install Rtools (cran.ma.imperial.ac.uk/bin/windows/Rtools)
2. > install.packages("devtools")
3. Find a small, intriguing package: BRRR
4. > devtools::install_github("brooke-watson/BRRR", build = TRUE)
#Rstats #R #Rstan