In which I rant about science

One of the science blogs on my google reader published an interesting review on PCR.  PCR is a widely used technique for quickly replicating and examining DNA samples.  The review is very much worth a read: check it out here.

First, the guy on acid thing doesn't even begin to cover the crazy that is Kary Mullis.

Second, this description is interesting in how much it highlights how completely problematic and subjective the "hard" sciences can be.

Psychology as a Science
My big science pet peeve (other than terrible puns in journal article) is when people insist that psychology is a "soft" science or generally unscientific.  Ignoring the blatent philosophical hypocrisy of using these labels without operationalizing them, separating psychology from biology, chemistry, and physics creates a false dichotomy.  To do the work that I do I have to learn, and be able to critically assess, material from fields as varied as neuroanatomy to chemical messaging to MR physics.  True, some fields of psychology share more characteristics with sociology and political science than the biology-oriented stuff that I do, but that doesn't mean that they don't apply the scientific method.

Subjectivity in the "Hard" Sciences
What I think the PCR article shows nicely is how all science, even the "hardest" of sciences, are built on assumptions.  Building on these assumptions is what allows science to move forward (well, maybe).  That Psychology is more open to the notion that its principles are just assumptions that may be altered or thrown out in the face of opposing evidence makes it epistemologically honest, not unscientific.  The techniques of physics, chemistry, and biology are, like those in psychology, are based on sets of assumptions and open to subjective interpretation.  To claim otherwise demonstrates either a lack of understanding as to how science really works or a failure of critical thinking.

Folk Psychology and Pseudoscience
Now, with all that said, I'm not going to pretend that there is nothing unscientific happening within psychology.  Studying human behavior seems to lend itself to more a more philosophical discourse than something like the study of plants or chemical reactions or whatever.  However, this sort of thing is unscientific because it doesn't follow the scientific method (which itself is built on a set of assumptions by the way) not because it is psychology.  Just as there are are unscientific elements within psychology, there are equally (if not more egregiously) unscientific elements within fields that are widely regarded as objectively scientific.

A Note on Voodo Correlations and Marc Hauser
I don't mean to lump these two things together, but they I think they highlight the scientific nature of Psychology.  While the Voodo Correlations business was ridiculously overblown, it did make researchers think critically about their methods.  This doesn't make Psychology unscientific, it just means there is an open (though overdramatic) dialogue about what methods should be used in what setting.  The Mark Hauser thing just demonstrates that Psychology data, like any other kind of data, is open to being faked.  The fact that Hauser's students (or assistants, I'm not so clear on this point) turned him in, demonstrates more open dialogue.  That these dialogues exist doesn't make Psychology unscientific, if anything it makes it more scientific than fields where such discussions either don't occur or are actively suppressed.

Final Notes
This isn't why I insist on calling myself a scientist, I just do that because I'm obnoxious.

Internet Radio: Volume 1

I've been looking for a way to easily share the music I like online for awhile now.  Grooveshark is so clunky that I thought I'd try 8Tracks.  Since 8Tracks, unlike Grooveshark is relatively above board, there are some license requirements that'll prevent you from skipping around on the playlist.  So, if you like a particular song (and I doubt most readers of this blog will care about any of this) check out the tracklist I've included at the bottom of this post.



This time around the track list is mostly, though not exclusively, New York indie stuff.  Expect much more eclectic selections if I keep this up. Mix titles will continue to be incongruous.

Volume 1: Darkseid Always Hated Music

1.  Pink City- Secret Cities
2.  Silver Soul- Beach House
3.  You Do You- Bear in Heaven
4.  Hand Me Downs- The Morning Benders
5.  Madder Red- Yeasayer
6.  When I'm Small- Phantogram
7.  Slow Motion- Panda Bear
8.  Beautiful People- The Books

Black Swan

Darren Aronofsky looks to have make the strangest ballet movie of all time.  Even the trailer is creepy.

Scott Pilgrim vs The World

Based on Brian Lee O'Malley's great series of graphic novels, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World is about growing older and accepting responsibility... in a world where veganism leads to psychic powers, indie-rock powered monsters fight electronica powered double dragons, and spontaneous Bollywood numbers are the norm.  This is probably the most ridiculous movie I've seen all year.  You should go see it immediately.



This was probably the most fun movie I've seen all year.  Though the film does deal with some serious issues, the action scenes and dialogue are amazingly entertaining.  I was worried that the film would get bogged down with fight scene after fight scene, there are seven bosses for the hero to defeat after all.  However, the battles were so varied in their execution, and so tied to the progression of the story, that none felt extraneous.  Though there is only minimal development for most of them, the characters are all memorable and interesting.  Even the music, an essential element to the graphic novels, is done really well.

The film is very silly and there are innumerable references to video games and indie-rock (Scott's ex is essentially an evil version of the singer from Metric) but these elements don't subtract from the film. Rather they add an extra layer of humor over a really dense and very funny plot.  Just like you don't need to be an expert on zombie movies to find Shaun of the Dead funny, or a fan of Bad Boys 2 to find Hot Fuzz funny, you don't need to be a big fan of video games and anime to enjoy Scott Pilgrim.

If you are a fan of Edgar Wright's other work, I recommend seeing this (and soon, I doubt it'll last much longer in theaters).  Even if you aren't a fan, there is still plenty to like.  See it for no other reason than the prospect of an extended fight sequence featuring Michael Cera vs. Jason Schwartzmann.

Neuropsychoparmacology

Though, I can't say I've noticed any behavioral effect (not that I would at this stage), my over-the-counter allergy meds are apparently chemically very similar to tricyclic anti-depressants.  Awesomely, they also seem to causing me to have a really dry mouth as well as really bad headaches.

I wonder if I could live without histamine receptors.  Mine seem to be increasingly rebellious the longer I stay on Long Island.