My new guest post for Healthcare 4 All PA is UP. % of Rural population is a variable that needs to be adjusted for. The plot above shows how the % of diabetics in each county is correlated with the % uninsured after adjusting for the % rural population.
Correlating the Percent of Uninsured with County Level Lifestyle Measures and Rural Populations | Healthcare 4 All PA Education Fund
My occupation is a statistician. I tell people it is like "CSI without dead bodies" because analyzing a set of data that has been collected is like doing an autopsy on a deceased person in the sense that I'm trying to learn what I can from what statistics and information are available. Except in this case the information does not involve gross things. For me the research process can be humorous, scary, but always captivating.
Friday, April 22, 2011
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
The Science of Why We Don't Believe Science | Mother Jones
Chris Mooney at Mother Jones magazine gives a good review in a long article of the research into why some reject out of hand science that contradicts their beliefs and cling to studies that give support. I would love to write that I am immune to this bias but I am not. That is why all of the evidence (or as much of it as possible) needs to be considered before a judgment can be made. Reconciling one's beliefs with scientific findings that are contrary is a painful process for anyone indeed.
Those who have a financial interest in keeping a large segment of the public in line with beliefs that are contrary to scientific findings, such as the petroleum industry and global warming, will often spend money to propaganda to maintain these beliefs. Mooney shows how easy this is to do and maintain. It's not necessary to persuade everyone to cling to these beliefs just enough to block effective action on these issues.
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Labels:
Education,
Global Warming,
Science
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