On Monday, May 5, 2014 9:29:33 AM UTC-10, Julie Bove wrote:
> "dsi1" <> wrote in message
>
> ...
>
> On Monday, May 5, 2014 3:19:12 AM UTC-10, barbie gee wrote:
>
> > On Sat, 3 May 2014, Malcom "Mal" Reynolds wrote:
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> > > In article >,
>
> >
>
> > > jmcquown > wrote:
>
> >
>
> > >
>
> >
>
> > >> On 5/2/2014 10:04 PM, Dave Smith wrote:
>
> >
>
> > >>> On 2014-05-02 21:32, jmcquown wrote:
>
> >
>
> > >>>>> Can't help you as I don't have that gadget, but bet my BP is low
>
> > >>>>> right
>
> >
>
> > >>>>> now, Lucy is purring away in my lap. It's slow going typing with one
>
> >
>
> > >>>>> hand though
>
> >
>
> > >>>
>
> >
>
> > >> I didn't write what is quoted above.
>
> >
>
> > >>
>
> >
>
> > >>> Imagine the Method section of the report..... got my mother to ask
>
> >
>
> > >>> people on the internet to send their blood pressure figures.
>
> >
>
> > >>>>>
>
> >
>
> > >>
>
> >
>
> > >> I can't even imagine what sort of science class experiment this is.
>
> > >> Why
>
> >
>
> > >> would a teacher ask people's kids to find people with cats and take
>
> >
>
> > >> their blood pressure?
>
> >
>
> > >>
>
> >
>
> > >> Jill
>
> >
>
> > >
>
> >
>
> > > I like the idea that for her science project she gets other people to do
>
> >
>
> > > the research for her
>
> >
>
> > >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> > yup, this. There's no science being done here at all, unless this is a
>
> >
>
> > social psychology experiment.
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> > Did I miss what the Control parts of the experiment are supposed to be?
>
> >
>
> > This is how they do science nowadays?
>
>
>
> The control data is supposed to weed out variables that are not part of the
>
> study. In this case, you measure BP of groups of people sitting quietly and
>
> people sitting quietly petting a cat. My guess is that there won't be any
>
> differences. This is just my little old guess but it's a totally awesome
>
> guess!
>
>
>
> So far the differences have been so slight as to not really be a difference.
>
> The numbers have gone down, yes. But not by much.

The lesson she should get out of this is that research is a tough gig and that it's difficult to design an experiment, even one that appears simple. The most important lesson she should learn is that the temptation to make up data is strong. Professionals do it all the time.