Old pics

1.  Meta-Analysis

The above picture is a meta-analysis, a combination of several studies to get a sense of the overall effect seen in them.  The effect size of choice is the odds ratio, boxes indicate the sample size/precision and the blue lines the interval estimate of it, and the diamond is an interval summary estimate of the odds ratio across studies.

2.  R in action in the journal Nature.  Trends in maximum wind speeds for hurricanes over a 25 year time period.  While not much change for most cyclones, the stronger ones are getting even worse. Boxplots by year and the lines represent the trends for the median, .75 quantile and 1.5 times the interquartile range.  The actual analysis (quantile regression) used the quantreg package. Article here.

3.  The scientific method?

4. Ack! Pirates!

5. Probably!

6.

7. Most amusing: Disputed definitions (words to avoid in science, like 'significant')

8. Code for Mandelbrot picture.  My gif defaulted to documents.

library(fields) # for tim.colors
library(caTools) # for write.gif
m = 400 # grid size
C = complex( real=rep(seq(-1.8,0.6, length.out=m), each=m ),
imag=rep(seq(-1.2,1.2, length.out=m), m ) )
C = matrix(C,m,m)


Z = 0
X = array(0, c(m,m,20))
for (k in 1:20) {
Z = Z^2+C
X[,,k] = exp(-abs(Z))
}
image(X[,,k], col=tim.colors(256)) # show final image in
write.gif(X, "Mandelbrot.gif", col=tim.colors(256), delay=100)
 

Found on the R-help list, code here. More on the Mandelbrot set.

9.

Reminder from David Gonzalez to watch what you put on facebook in case you become a famous psychologist.  Pictured is Martin Seligman.

10. 

"Owing to the continuity of every statistical series, the imaginary line drawn along the tops of the heads of the men will form a regular curve, and if we can record this curve we shall be furnished with data whereby to ascertain the height of every man in the whole series. Drawing such a curve for Englishmen and another for Frenchmen, and superimposing the two, we should be able to compare the statures of the two nations in the minutest particulars."

11.