Nobrainer’s Think Tank

I’m betting Toyota is one of the many loading up on the “Miss Me Yet?” gear.

It seems Toyota is not too pleased with the new administration.

Among their listed challenges:

• Activist Administration & Congress — increasing laws & regulation
• Massive government support for Detroit automakers

They go on to say:

• US DOT/NHTSA under Obama Administration not industry-friendly
  =>
  OEMs anticipate a more challenging regulator and enforcement environment, with potential for revisiting key regulatory proposals
• NHTSA’s new, more aggressive management includes more attorneys at the agency, even in the leadership of Rulemaking and Enforecemnt
  =>
  The new team has less understanding of engineering issues and are primarily focused on legal issues

What the hell does that mean?

Last night I rediscovered the Bad Science blog. I was particularly interested in a post about a good study about animal testing in other studies. As the author argues, if animals are going to be used in a study, it’s important that the study be designed and reported as well as possible to maximize the effect of the study and minimize animal suffering. What the study found was not encouraging:

Some of the flaws they discovered were bizarre. Four per cent of papers didn’t mention how many animals were used in the experiment, anywhere. The researchers looked in detail at 48 studies that did say how many they used: not one explained why they had chosen their particular number of animals. Thirty-five per cent of the papers gave one figure for the number of animals used in the methods, and then a different number of animals appeared in the results. That’s pretty disorganised. They looked at how many studies used basic strategies to reduce bias in their results, like randomisation and blinding…

Only 12% of the animal studies used randomisation. Only 14% used blinding. And the reporting was often poor. Only 8% gave the raw data, allowing you to go back and do your own analysis. About half the studies left the numbers of animals in each group out of their tables.

One thing I learned in grad school — maybe the most important thing, is that you have no idea how bad peer-reviewed research can be until you actually want to use it for anything. A lot of crap clears the peer-review process.

Have they forgotten that they’re irreparably evil and unable to do anything good?

In a blind taste-test with produce from Whole Foods…

As I had been in my own kitchen, the tasters were surprised when the results were unblinded at the end of the meal and they learned that in a number of instances they had adamantly preferred Walmart produce. And they weren’t entirely happy.

Although the next sentence really makes me wonder.

In an ideal world, people would buy their food directly from the people who grew or caught it, or grow and catch it themselves.

Really? What’s ideal about that?

Just received this in an email (a real one, not a spam one).

Dear [Nobrainer],

We have an important chance for you to join [us], including a world clock calculator, if you respond at…

A clock calculator? Seriously. Is this 1985? Can I wear it on my wrist?

Eh. I think I’ll pass.

The upside is that, for the current storm, the forecasts of accumulation totals have been declining from their peak of 10″-20″. The downside is

… BLIZZARD WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM EST THIS EVENING… … WINTER STORM WARNING IS CANCELLED…

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN STERLING VIRGINIA HAS ISSUED A BLIZZARD WARNING… WHICH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM EST THIS EVENING. THE WINTER STORM WARNING HAS BEEN CANCELLED.

* PRECIPITATION TYPE… SNOW.

* ACCUMULATIONS… 6 TO 12 INCHES.

This news was released at 7:46 am EST, Wed., Feb. 10, 2010, or approximately the same time I was outside shoveling and being frozen by 40mph wind gusts.

I’m also not sure if the accumulations are just for what’s remaining or for the entirety of the storm. I’m guessing the latter. Unfortunately I’ve already cleared 6″ of snow from my driveway. Between the falling snow and the blowing snow I’m expecting 6 more inches, at least.