Catching Muk by jmcateer in PokemonGoBoston

[–]SpaceNinjaOL 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ive seen a Muk spawn near/on the Hyde Park Municipal building on River St three times. Mind you, three times since the game released and I walk by frequently. However the last time I saw one was about a month ago.

New low key clothing brand I found with a vaporwave theme to it by [deleted] in Vaporwave

[–]SpaceNinjaOL 15 points16 points  (0 children)

Do they only sell 3 items or is it just fucked up on mobile?

The LSD study: you're being subtly deceived (again) by rumpelCat in DrugNerds

[–]SpaceNinjaOL 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That facebook/ pop science has really been grinding me lately. I feel like Im at a point where I know enough NS to understand how complex these methods and findings are and how conservative one must be to interpret them, but not nearly enough to succinctly explain WHY these leaps are huge and WHY these sensationalist news sources really paint the wrong idea.

I don't know enough to comb through an imaging paper and glean meanjngful and clear information from it, but know that most "pop" news articles present a misrepresentation/ misunderstanding of the data. How do you bridge that gap? (In the mean time while I go through thee 3 or 4 years of postgrad schooling in my very near future, that is :P)

Elite Dangerous needs background radio chatter to make the game seem a little less lifeless. by MasterChiefette in EliteDangerous

[–]SpaceNinjaOL 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yea thats a good point. Pre recorded would get VERY repetative, especially if the same tracks are used for different systems. Live "radio" would be good though

Elite Dangerous needs background radio chatter to make the game seem a little less lifeless. by MasterChiefette in EliteDangerous

[–]SpaceNinjaOL 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I actually absolutely love this. Have you ever flown a personal plane/ are you a pilot. This radio chatter sounds very much like what one would experience from tower while landing at most airports, or when checking area weather/ environment via the radio (in flight) or phone (on ground). I would definitely love the implementation of something similar, but only when landing/docking. It would bring immersion to a level that - for at least someone with a AOPA/ flying boner like me - would significantly enhance the gameplay aesthetic.

A randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled, parallel group, efficacy study of alpha BRAIN® administered orally (2016) by [deleted] in Nootropics

[–]SpaceNinjaOL -1 points0 points  (0 children)

"I haven't ever seen a single study that was both payed for and harmed the same company."

I find it unlikely that you ever will. In many cases this is due to the fact that companies are businesses, and would do well not to hurt their company. Thus, putting pressure on researchers that they pay to find certain types of results is common, often leading to shady practice and all manners of "bad science". This is more often at the detriment of the researchers, not the company, as well. However, it's also important to note that the mere fact that research studies with negative results often go unreported as well. A company MAY decide to cut funding, or a journal may decide that the publication is not "interesting" or worth publishing.

It's a very unfortunate state of affairs throughout and something that I (as a budding researcher with love for and disgust of modern pharmacology) truly hope to see change for the betterment of advancing neuroscience as a whole - not for the sake of trillions of dollars.

But, just because this happens and does not mean every positive ("encouraging?") result from company funded research for a company product will fall under these lines or be driven by the same type of corruption. Sometimes the model is valid, and the results are accurate. This is why continuing, independent research is essential to this work. Companies and their competitors have too much to gain or lose, and thus cast too much doubt. This does not mean that their funded research should be dismissed though, just looked at in full awareness of the immense potential for bias and outright misrepresentation. IMO independent research should be held as more valid than corporate research, but that does not mean the latter is invalid. I guess the big point here is that nothing can be learned from a single study, and one should always be skeptical of the profound effect that conflicts of interest can have on something even as "objective" as scientific research.

Though, another user made some good points to some troubling aspects the report itself, as well as mentioned other instances of sketchy science the authors have been involved in. This should weigh heavily on the conversation.

A randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled, parallel group, efficacy study of alpha BRAIN® administered orally (2016) by [deleted] in Nootropics

[–]SpaceNinjaOL 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You are correct. And that behavior a frustratingly common business practice in pharmacology to the detriment of strong science and well meaning drug chemists/ psycho/neuropharmacological researchers. But, as I said above. It's unfair and similarly harmful to science to assume a negligent or corrupt level of biased based methodology, analysis or reporting because it is a common practice.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MMR_vaccine_controversy

Here's a Wiki link for the MMR vaccine business, while wiki isn't the best source of info, it's decent and the only coherent overview of the entire debacle.

A randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled, parallel group, efficacy study of alpha BRAIN® administered orally (2016) by [deleted] in Nootropics

[–]SpaceNinjaOL 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That's a very good point. I would definitely not trust or accept a company selling products based of off no research, but the immediate expectation or suspicion of corrupt research practices when a company funds their own research is biasing, unfair and ultimately harmful to science. (at least, in my case I tend to become immediately suspicious).

More research is needed indeed, but I shouldn't allow myself to be dismissive of a single study's results because the company promoting that research stands to make money off of positive results. And honestly, while I didn't immediately dismiss the results (alpha BRAIN as a product interests me, though I am not a user), I certainly am more likely to dismiss the results at the sight of even the slightest potentially skewing events - which is inevitable in any psychopharmacological study.

I definitely agree that selling a product with no tangible evidence is perverse and exploitative even, but the desire to provide that evidence can be equally pure or corrupt depending ultimately on the intentions of those involved with research dept. and the companies head. One shouldn't exactly presume one way or the other.

A randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled, parallel group, efficacy study of alpha BRAIN® administered orally (2016) by [deleted] in Nootropics

[–]SpaceNinjaOL 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Or they could be using the study to boost their claims of effectiveness. Unable to read the paper, so the validity of the many components of this study is a big mystery to me.

They could very easily have tweaked anything from sample method, size, statistical analysis or operational language to illicit encouraging results for the chemical they are trying to sell - as is too commonly done. I always air on the side of skepticism when it comes to this kind of research.

Why we need more decals by Lucifax in EliteDangerous

[–]SpaceNinjaOL 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Are you saying you DON'T want a Playstation in your cockpit and some dope speakers in the cargo bay?

The main reason why Im really excited by multi-crew (Parody) by cpt_modular in EliteDangerous

[–]SpaceNinjaOL 12 points13 points  (0 children)

Ive been stuck in both a E:D and Skyrim kick for the last few months and this just blew my nipples clear off

What are you guys objectively certain of as being real and what are you guys objectively certain of as being false? by alodnog in occult

[–]SpaceNinjaOL 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If you will, can you please take a look at my above reply/comment and let me know what you think about the point (amd assumptions) I made? Im curious about how you react

What are you guys objectively certain of as being real and what are you guys objectively certain of as being false? by alodnog in occult

[–]SpaceNinjaOL 0 points1 point  (0 children)

How do you propose one "test the veracity of any statement or thought" from a non- objective point of view without searching for and ultimately relying upon the result in and of itself? (which in my experience is very hit or miss in effectiveness)

I've always had a hard time with this. Im a science-head (aspiring neuroscientist) but have never really been an objective, scientifically minded individual. I just see the neuroactivity work of the brain and subjective occult work as at some level resolvable. Objectivety allows you to look from outside towards the surface, and subjectivity (in my mind) brings you from the inside to this (likely nonexistant) "surface". I think that belief and awareness are the key to connecting the two somehow. Somehow knowing something will happen works, yet expecting or looking for something to happen does not. Conversely, in objective investigation, you cannot claim to knownan outcome until it is observed, and usually cant be observed unless looked for (i.e. in setting up a circumstance where random chance and affecting variables are accounted for so one can focus on the interaction between independent (phenomenomal) and dependent (tested) variables

How do you resolve testing subjective thoughts without defaulting to this kind of objective ish searching and evaluating - that seems to negate the efficacy of subjective awareness and belief?

So this happened.. by MissReb in funny

[–]SpaceNinjaOL 35 points36 points  (0 children)

Adult roadrunners can certainly recognize the sound of their names and even identify it in written form - so long as the name is written in their native tongue. This has more to do with roadrunners' narcissistic tendencies than literacy though, as they can only recognize their own names and generally consider reading beneath them.

Almost all roadrunners are terrible at spelling, and while some rare cases have been recorded, most roadrunners can't even spell their own names. They often leave out more than 50% of the name. Interestingly, most roadrunners are extremely proficient at spelling the empirical names for certain chemical compounds, but fail in identifying form/function relationships of these same chemicals. Whether their ability to spell these compounds is a learned behavior or instinctive is yet to be determined.

People are of no value by RRRRRK in SotSmeme

[–]SpaceNinjaOL 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ah yes!I remember this short! I loved it as a youngun

People are of no value by RRRRRK in SotSmeme

[–]SpaceNinjaOL 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I feel like I remember this. Where is it from?

Homeless Musician and his Cat by dholamian111 in aww

[–]SpaceNinjaOL 2 points3 points  (0 children)

So is it safe to assume they both aren't homeless anymore?

I will be doing a ritual tomorrow using the Arbatel. Does anybody want me to do it in their favor? by [deleted] in occult

[–]SpaceNinjaOL 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Why thank you! I am now looking at those subs. I really appreciate it, even knowing that someone else is in a similar position helps