Tea? (Part 1)

[Arch]

oh, cool, TheDoc and I will see you there is you make it! I'm sure your singing will be fine and infinitely more comprehensible than one of Ken's talks..

<for the benefit of outsiders, Ken has about the strongest Geordie accent I've ever heard. He was once on Dutch TV and the subtitled him IN ENGLISH (which he was speaking already!)>

Organising birdwatchers, is that like trying to herd cats?

 

[Landslide]

Organising birdwatchers, is that like trying to herd cats?

I hear they never stay still - prone to twitching...

 

[Amanda P]

Actually, I work with a Geordie. I can't speak it but I can generally translate to English. It can be hard work though.

Organising birdwatchers, is that like trying to herd cats?

I imagine it will be.

 

[Amanda P]

After doing my job for more than ten years, I've managed to get my head around statistics, more or less, or at least the relevant stuff. I never did at University though, and I don't know anyone else who did either.

There must be something about statistics that renders it just about incomprehensible to undergraduate biologists, but graspable (with considerable effort) by those who have left university.

 

[Arch]

I think it's partly that you learn to use what you have to, and the rest can go hang. I'm having to use stats, and basically, I'm just using T tests, and letting SPSS do them, but I'm not utterly confident I understand them - I just know I need a result to be X for it to be important enough to mention.

That said, there are some for whom it all seems intuitive. I'm not one of them. When we were undergrads, our stats tutor was the newest lecturer, he started in the dept the same year as us, and when the course started he said "I've been detailed to teach you all stats, and I'm not sure which of us is being punished for what..."

Despite my fear, I actually helped with some 'back up' sessions for undergrads once I was a post grad. Taking them through a formula (for T-tests, I think), one of them asked "why is it n-1 there, and not n?" I was stumped, and said I'd find out. Asking the guy who knew (actually, it was Canrider of this parish) he said "it just is, it works better that way". When I told them this the next week, they were happy with that - they just needed to know...

 

[TheDoctor]

I strongly suspect there's a mathematical reason for it being (n-1). I have no idea what this reason might be...
Maths isn't the kind of topic where you build in random fiddle-factors, unlike engineering.

My mug is currently not producing significant results for a Tea-test.

 

[Chuffy]

GENETICS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tell me about it. I've got mother's lack of height, hearty appetite and recurrent weight issues coupled with father's crap eyesight and bandy legs. Cheers parents.

Ah. That wasn't what you meant was it?

 

[Arch]

I strongly suspect there's a mathematical reason for it being (n-1). I have no idea what this reason might be...
Maths isn't the kind of topic where you build in random fiddle-factors, unlike engineering.

My mug is currently not producing significant results for a Tea-test.

Have some Tea dear...

I'm sure there is a reason, but the way Brian explained it, he said "it just is" was good enough.... Like it could have been n, but n-1 simply gave a more consitent result or something. Or maybe he was just being kind, and I woulsn't have stood a cat in hells chance of understanding the real reason...

 

[tdr1nka]

Just got back!
Have I missed something?
Is Chuffy's avatar Joanna Lumly?

 

[Speicher]

I am probably going to Wooler, Mrs Uncle Phil probably won't make it as she'll be organising ornithologo ornth orinoth birdwatchers in Ireland.

Uncle Phil do you have any news of your bran wols?

 

[wafflycat]

oh, cool, TheDoc and I will see you there is you make it! I'm sure your singing will be fine and infinitely more comprehensible than one of Ken's talks..

<for the benefit of outsiders, Ken has about the strongest Geordie accent I've ever heard. He was once on Dutch TV and the subtitled him IN ENGLISH (which he was speaking already!)>

Organising birdwatchers, is that like trying to herd cats?

Whey pet, y'havvint hord mine yet, like. Is Ken's accent Geordie or Northumbrian. Is he proper pitmatik? There is a difference!

Does he roll his rrrrs, as in "Arroound the rrragged rrrock the rrragged rrascal rran"

 

[TheDoctor]

Well, I didn't (quite) need subtitles for your accent, Waffles. I have worked with Geordies in the past, and served my time on a Helldesk dealing with peeps from everywhere - Bellfast to Bangor, Penzance to Perth and all points in between, including Dudley...

 

[wafflycat]

Whey bonnie laad, ah waz bee'in rite posh.

 

[TheDoctor]

Would I risk a swift cropping by calling you a bonnie lass?
Then again, would I actually *mind* a swift cropping?

 

[Speicher]

Just got back!
Have I missed something?
Is Chuffy's avatar Joanna Lumly?

I wondered where you got to.

Have you seen ChrisKH thread about "Bikeability Training" and is that what you are training to do?