A random thread for small things that don't really warrant a thread of their own

[ElyDave]

And Northern Gas Networks, or at least they used to.  Nice steady regulated industry with a 5-7 year OFGEM agreement providing a predicatble income.

[T42]

Bought a pack of Andrex recently, it being the only brand then available in the nearby Co-op, and on the back it had instructions on how to wipe your arse. Of course, the recommended technique involves using lots of bog roll and an additional Andrex product.

I read a few years ago that, according to Kimberly-Clark's annual sales figures, every US inhabitant used 147 sheets/day.  Judging from the amount swanning about the floor in the "bathrooms" of every US company I visited, only half of that went down the cludge.

[rafletcher]

We felt an earth tremor this morning, magnitude 3.6 @ 10km deep. Of slightly more interest is that it was located 3.6km SW of Aylesbury - or underneath Chequers! 

[ElyDave]

The Portal is finally opening

[Tim Hall]

The Portal is finally opening

The Portal has been open for a few years. That was it being slammed shut, but I fear it's a bit late.

[Cudzoziemiec]

Nah, it was Boris rolling over in bed.

[T42]

And falling out. Into the jarrie, one hopes. Another clanger.

[citoyen]

Do we have a "stats that make you cringe" thread?

In my current line of work, I'm frequently reading reports of studies that claim some behaviour or other "increases risk of death by 30%" or some other figure.

I mean, surely we're all at 100% risk of death sooner or later? There must be a better way of phrasing what these study results mean...

[ian]

Do we have a "stats that make you cringe" thread?

In my current line of work, I'm frequently reading reports of studies that claim some behaviour or other "increases risk of death by 30%" or some other figure.

I mean, surely we're all at 100% risk of death sooner or later? There must be a better way of phrasing what these study results mean...

There is. Relative and absolute risk are the correct terms. An absolute risk is saying you have a 1 in 10,000 chance of being killed by lightning (in your entire life) or saying that 9 in 10 men will have evidence of prostate cancer by the age 60.

Relative risk is the difference between two groups, so you could say wearing a tin hat increases the likelihood of getting struck by lightning by 100%, so the absolute risk for tin hat wearers is now 2 in 10,000.

The percentages are worthless and strongly recommended against as they give no idea as the actual risk, saying eating cheese increases the risk of a particular cancer by 30% sounds horrific and you must stop immediately, but if the incidence of that cancer is 1 in a 1,000,000, then 30% is insignificant.

[citoyen]

saying eating cheese increases the risk of a particular cancer by 30% sounds horrific and you must stop immediately, but if the incidence of that cancer is 1 in a 1,000,000, then 30% is insignificant.

Oh yes, that as well.

The other common crime is to omit mentioning the bit of the study that says the link between eating cheese and increased risk of big toe cancer is not proven to be causative... 

[ian]

And it's usually in mice. Or based on cells in a petri dish. There's a research adage that your likelihood of successful cancer treatment is massively improved... if you're a mouse.

Most (major) medical journals now specify that studies should cite actual risk, but it's not a memo that's reached everywhere, and certainly not the desks of the journalists who cover this.

[Mr Larrington]

saying eating cheese increases the risk of a particular cancer by 30% sounds horrific and you must stop immediately, but if the incidence of that cancer is 1 in a 1,000,000, then 30% is insignificant.

Oh yes, that as well.

The other common crime is to omit mentioning the bit of the study that says the link between eating cheese and increased risk of big toe cancer is not proven to be causative... 

Warning: exposure to the Daily Fail can be detrimental to your blood pressure.

[citoyen]

certainly not the desks of the journalists who cover this.

FSVO journalist...

On the health and fitness periodical I currently work for, we at least make a token effort to report these things a bit more accurately than those media outlets who are only interested in the sensational headline.

[ian]

To be fair, many of the source publications still make the same mistakes despite the fact it's relatively simple to express risk in a meaningful and easy-to-understand manner. It's even worse when it's tiny percentages of 1-in-thousands, these often lack any kind of statistical significance, more so when you find out the study comprised 10 people and two of those didn't complete it.

[andrewc]

I’m just out for a ride on the bike & the phone rings in my pocket.  DHL with my wine delivery!  If anyone knows where I live there’s 24 bottles of Portugal’s finest left in my downstairs foyer!   I hope it’s still there when I get home later 

[mrcharly-YHT]

I'm in a zoom call with 64 people.

One person is wearing one of those sweaters with a cowl neck.

In a zoom video thumbnail, the way the cowl bit folds makes it look like they are sat at home wearing a dressing gown.

[Tim Hall]

I'm in a zoom call with 64 people.

One person is wearing one of those sweaters with a cowl neck.

In a zoom video thumbnail, the way the cowl bit folds makes it look like they are sat at home wearing a dressing gown.

Alternatively, you are in a zoom call with 64 people.

One person is sat at home wearing a dressing gown and hoping like mad it looks like a sweater with a cowl neck.

[Mr Larrington]

I'm in a zoom call with 64 people.

One person is wearing one of those sweaters with a cowl neck.

In a zoom video thumbnail, the way the cowl bit folds makes it look like they are sat at home wearing a dressing gown.

Alternatively, you are in a zoom call with 64 people.

One person is sat at home wearing a dressing gown and hoping like mad it looks like a sweater with a cowl neck.

Then by 4 pm he'll be getting slung out of a spaceship six light years away from the smoking ruins of the Earth, accompanied by an out-of-work actor from Guildford trying to put a fish in his ear.

[fuzzy]

I'm in a zoom call with 64 people.

One person is wearing one of those sweaters with a cowl neck.

In a zoom video thumbnail, the way the cowl bit folds makes it look like they are sat at home wearing a dressing gown.

Alternatively, you are in a zoom call with 64 people.

One person is sat at home wearing a dressing gown and hoping like mad it looks like a sweater with a cowl neck.

Climb Gandalf

[ElyDave]

One of our carers bought in a bunch of flowers yesterady, which were duly vased.  Somebody noticed something moving in the bottom and decided "they must be tadpoles, we need to look after them and release them into the wild"

I didn't take a close look yesterday after my trip to That London, but did so this morning - nope, not tadpoles, mosquito larvae.  Chuck 'em on the on the lawn to shrivel in the sun

[ian]

Also, don't be releasing tadpoles in the wild.

[Tim Hall]

Also, don't be releasing tadpoles in the wild.

Down this way, well over near Newdigate, there was, in the early 20th century, an Aquatic farm, breeding and sale of exotic amphibians for the use of.  It finally closed sometime in 60s or 70s.  Escapes have led to:

The Beam Brook site continues to fascinate. It is now partly occupied by a plant hire company but on Google Earth the ponds can still be seen. In 2006 it was reported that Alpine Newts, Italian Crested Newts, Pool Frogs, Edible Frogs and snakes (possible hybrids between Natrix species) were still present together with Red-eared Terrapins in the adjacent brook. Fire Salamanders, European Tree Frogs, Marbled Newts, Wall Lizards and European Terrapins appeared to have died out. Victorian varieties of water lily were still flowering in the ponds.

Lifted from this blog: https://waicblog.wordpress.com/2015/10/22/haigs-aquatic-farm-at-beam-brook-newdigate-surrey-aquatic-and-reptile-dealers-in-the-20th-century/

[ian]

Unfortunately, the downside of the exoticism is that they tend to eat or outcompete the local wildlife. Amphibians are having a tough time at the moment (and the fungal infection responsible is generally spread through release of non-native species).

Water lilies themselves are often an expensive pest that will eventually clog watercourses and lakes.

[Cudzoziemiec]

Apparently Thursday was Suicide Prevention Day. Winnie the Pooh appeared for the occasion.

https://www.bristol247.com/culture/art/comforting-new-sculpture-appears-overnight/

[TheLurker]

Surely that should be in the Caption Competition?

"Ohh please nooo.  Not the damned "recipe" for hunny sandwiches again."