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a middle-aged male scientist wearing a white lab coat points at a computer screen while a younger woman scientist also wearing a lab coat looks on.
Younger Scientists Are More Innovative, Study Finds
On average, researchers’ impact dropped by one-half to two-thirds over their careers.
Younger Scientists Are More Innovative, Study Finds
Younger Scientists Are More Innovative, Study Finds

On average, researchers’ impact dropped by one-half to two-thirds over their careers.

On average, researchers’ impact dropped by one-half to two-thirds over their careers.

statistics

Illustration of pink and blue DNA molecules.
Historic Adaptations May Now Make Us Susceptible to Disease
Dan Robitzski | Sep 16, 2022 | 5 min read
Researchers made the find using an algorithm that purportedly distinguishes between mutations that were selected for and those that came along for the ride by coincidence, a feat that has long eluded scientists.
close up programmer student man hand typing on keyboard at computer desktop to input code language into software for study bug and defect of system in classroom , development of technology concept
How to Fix Science's Code Problem
Katarina Zimmer | Sep 12, 2022 | 10 min read
Despite increasingly strict journal policies requiring the release of computational code files along with research papers, many scientists remain reluctant to share—underscoring the need for better solutions.
Infographic: Meet R, the Shaky Metric Guiding Pandemic Forecasts
Katarina Zimmer | Jul 25, 2020 | 3 min read
The basic reproductive R0, along with the more malleable effective reproduction number Re, are centerpieces of most epidemiological models that are informing government responses to COVID-19.
Why R0 Is Problematic for Predicting COVID-19 Spread
Katarina Zimmer | Jul 13, 2020 | 10+ min read
The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has revealed the limitations of R0 as no other disease outbreak has before, at a time when policymakers need accurate forecasts.
wuhan china coronavirus pandemic covid-19 estimate modeling cases
Estimates Vary Widely for Number of Wuhan COVID-19 Cases in January
Chris Baraniuk | Jun 17, 2020 | 5 min read
Lacking many diagnostic test results from the first major outbreak, researchers have been left to scour other sources for clues about what happened in the early days of the pandemic.
nowcasting coronavirus pandemic covid-19 sars-cov-2 death data lag coroner
It’s So Hard to Know Who’s Dying of COVID-19—and When
David Adam | May 18, 2020 | 5 min read
It can take days for each death to be recorded in official statistics. “Nowcasting” estimates the actual occurrence of deaths, and the true peak of the pandemic.
China Catches Up with the US in Science and Tech
Catherine Offord | Jan 17, 2020 | 2 min read
A new report from the National Science Board identifies changes in the US’s global R&D investment and output, as well as in the country’s science and engineering workforce in recent years.
microbes autism microbiome statistics
Study of Microbiome’s Importance in Autism Triggers Swift Backlash
Nicholette Zeliadt | Jun 27, 2019 | 4 min read
Independent scientists say the original analysis is flawed; the authors stand by their work and are seeking outside statisticians to reanalyze the data.
Drop Statistical Significance, Scientists Say
Carolyn Wilke | Mar 21, 2019 | 2 min read
In service of an arbitrary threshold, p-values often lead researchers to make poorly supported claims and ignore interesting but insignificant results, scientists argue.
Medical Statistician Doug Altman Dies
Kerry Grens | Jun 5, 2018 | 2 min read
The cofounder of the EQUATOR Network devoted his career to boosting transparency and improving the quality of clinical research.
Emails Reveal Questionable Practices by Cornell Food Scientist and His Coauthors
Shawna Williams | Feb 26, 2018 | 2 min read
The correspondence points to routine data-massaging at a high-profile lab.
ACS Statistics Reveal Continuing Declines in Cancer Mortality
Catherine Offord | Apr 1, 2017 | 4 min read
Despite an overall decrease in the number of US cancer deaths, some cancer types are on the rise, and disparities remain between genders and ethnicities.
Jason Castro Tackles Olfactory Mysteries
Ben Andrew Henry | Nov 1, 2016 | 3 min read
Assistant Professor, Bates College. Age: 37
2016 Salary Survey: By the Numbers
The Scientist | Oct 31, 2016 | 1 min read
This year's life sciences salary survey turned up some interesting trends in the U.S. and around the world.
ESP on Trial
Catherine Offord | Sep 1, 2016 | 3 min read
In the 1930s, parapsychologist Joseph Banks Rhine aimed to use scientific methods to confirm the existence of extrasensory perception, but faced criticisms of dubious analyses and irreproducible results.
Faulty Statistics Muddy fMRI Results
Tanya Lewis | Jul 6, 2016 | 2 min read
An analysis of the widely used technique calls into question the validity of 40,000 studies.
Composite Endpoints in Clinical Trials
Sarah C.P. Williams | Jul 1, 2016 | 7 min read
There’s a right way and a wrong way to boost the statistical sensitivity of this type of clinical studies.
How to Use P-Values Correctly
Kerry Grens | Mar 9, 2016 | 2 min read
The American Statistical Association offers guidance on best practices for the oft-misused tool.
Methylation’s Role in Eusocial Insect Behavior Questioned
Catherine Offord | Jan 21, 2016 | 2 min read
Researchers re-examine the evidence for DNA methylation as the cause of behavioral differences among social insects.
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