Stats For Bios
@statsforbios.bsky.social
Statistics for biologists, medics, statisticians. Anyone really. By Tim Lucas, lecturer in epi/stats.
"This is what it looks like when a simple clever idea is turning out to be too simple and insufficiently clever."
Glen McDonald
Pithy. I like it.
Glen McDonald
Pithy. I like it.
February 13, 2026 at 12:31 PM
"This is what it looks like when a simple clever idea is turning out to be too simple and insufficiently clever."
Glen McDonald
Pithy. I like it.
Glen McDonald
Pithy. I like it.
Potentially interesting data.
Many aircraft broadcast information about how accurate their navigation system. Areas where a significant percentage of aircraft report low navigation accuracy seem to correlate well with areas of known and suspected jamming activity.
gpsjam.org?lat=29.25888...
Many aircraft broadcast information about how accurate their navigation system. Areas where a significant percentage of aircraft report low navigation accuracy seem to correlate well with areas of known and suspected jamming activity.
gpsjam.org?lat=29.25888...
GPSJAM GPS/GNSS Interference Map
Map showing possible GPS interference around 29.259, 81.922 on 2025-09-10.
gpsjam.org
February 11, 2026 at 1:39 PM
Potentially interesting data.
Many aircraft broadcast information about how accurate their navigation system. Areas where a significant percentage of aircraft report low navigation accuracy seem to correlate well with areas of known and suspected jamming activity.
gpsjam.org?lat=29.25888...
Many aircraft broadcast information about how accurate their navigation system. Areas where a significant percentage of aircraft report low navigation accuracy seem to correlate well with areas of known and suspected jamming activity.
gpsjam.org?lat=29.25888...
Raw dRogging
Is there a term for figuring something out that LLMs say isn't possible? Grind coding? Organic coding? In this case, rendering elements in an SVG to in #Rstats. (Claude cooked up a whole non-functioning package in an attempt to do it).
February 10, 2026 at 7:45 PM
Raw dRogging
Natty coding? I vote grind coding. #RStats
Is there a term for figuring something out that LLMs say isn't possible? Grind coding? Organic coding? In this case, rendering elements in an SVG to in #Rstats. (Claude cooked up a whole non-functioning package in an attempt to do it).
February 10, 2026 at 2:23 PM
Natty coding? I vote grind coding. #RStats
Two fully-funded (UK only) environmental health PhD projects here at Leicester. Great team. www.findaphd.com/phds/project...
www.findaphd.com/phds/project...
www.findaphd.com/phds/project...
February 9, 2026 at 10:21 AM
Two fully-funded (UK only) environmental health PhD projects here at Leicester. Great team. www.findaphd.com/phds/project...
www.findaphd.com/phds/project...
www.findaphd.com/phds/project...
Reposted by Stats For Bios
Feeling some appreciation for @lnalborczyk.bsky.social's logit dot plots (lnalborczyk.github.io/blog/2018-01...).
February 5, 2026 at 9:48 PM
Feeling some appreciation for @lnalborczyk.bsky.social's logit dot plots (lnalborczyk.github.io/blog/2018-01...).
Reposted by Stats For Bios
🚨 GAMs have moved on—so it’s time for an update.
On March 3, 2026 (17:00–19:00 CET) I’ll be livestreaming an updated introduction to Generalized Additive Models in R
📺 YouTube livestream link: youtube.com/live/A9U8e1K...
#RStats #mgcv #GAMs #gratia #statistics 🧪
On March 3, 2026 (17:00–19:00 CET) I’ll be livestreaming an updated introduction to Generalized Additive Models in R
📺 YouTube livestream link: youtube.com/live/A9U8e1K...
#RStats #mgcv #GAMs #gratia #statistics 🧪
What's new in the world of Generalized Additive Models
YouTube video by Bottom of the Heap
youtube.com
February 3, 2026 at 12:57 PM
🚨 GAMs have moved on—so it’s time for an update.
On March 3, 2026 (17:00–19:00 CET) I’ll be livestreaming an updated introduction to Generalized Additive Models in R
📺 YouTube livestream link: youtube.com/live/A9U8e1K...
#RStats #mgcv #GAMs #gratia #statistics 🧪
On March 3, 2026 (17:00–19:00 CET) I’ll be livestreaming an updated introduction to Generalized Additive Models in R
📺 YouTube livestream link: youtube.com/live/A9U8e1K...
#RStats #mgcv #GAMs #gratia #statistics 🧪
Reposted by Stats For Bios
Don't you f**king dare.
February 3, 2026 at 2:56 PM
Don't you f**king dare.
Reposted by Stats For Bios
The fact that CRAN now automatically generates DOIs is really great. Trivial to slurp up via Zotero and then cite package authors like they should be.
January 31, 2026 at 10:21 PM
The fact that CRAN now automatically generates DOIs is really great. Trivial to slurp up via Zotero and then cite package authors like they should be.
Crisis averted. Continue with your lives.
Might be sliding into a crisis about the central limit theorem. Replies to emails might be slow. Bear with me.
January 30, 2026 at 5:01 PM
Crisis averted. Continue with your lives.
There's a big, but often overlooked divide in predictive modelling. Some models are aiming to do something a human can (easily) do but scale to millions of predictions. Others are aiming to do something a human cannot do, and potentially not scale at all. 1/
January 30, 2026 at 1:51 PM
There's a big, but often overlooked divide in predictive modelling. Some models are aiming to do something a human can (easily) do but scale to millions of predictions. Others are aiming to do something a human cannot do, and potentially not scale at all. 1/
Might be sliding into a crisis about the central limit theorem. Replies to emails might be slow. Bear with me.
January 30, 2026 at 1:49 PM
Might be sliding into a crisis about the central limit theorem. Replies to emails might be slow. Bear with me.
Reposted by Stats For Bios
Big New Project Release! 📣
I'm very excited to share this long-form highly interactive data (visualization)-driven article on Neglected Tropical Diseases that I worked on for The END Fund. It takes a deep dive into NTDs and the millions of people affected every day
👉 endfund.org/visualizing-...
I'm very excited to share this long-form highly interactive data (visualization)-driven article on Neglected Tropical Diseases that I worked on for The END Fund. It takes a deep dive into NTDs and the millions of people affected every day
👉 endfund.org/visualizing-...
January 30, 2026 at 11:27 AM
Big New Project Release! 📣
I'm very excited to share this long-form highly interactive data (visualization)-driven article on Neglected Tropical Diseases that I worked on for The END Fund. It takes a deep dive into NTDs and the millions of people affected every day
👉 endfund.org/visualizing-...
I'm very excited to share this long-form highly interactive data (visualization)-driven article on Neglected Tropical Diseases that I worked on for The END Fund. It takes a deep dive into NTDs and the millions of people affected every day
👉 endfund.org/visualizing-...
Is there a Royal Statistical Society Young Statisticians Meeting this year? I can't seem to find any info.
January 29, 2026 at 3:15 PM
Is there a Royal Statistical Society Young Statisticians Meeting this year? I can't seem to find any info.
Me to student A: Start super simple, then build up.
Me to student B: Keep it simple at first.
Me on day 1 of project: Let's get a nice chunk of complexity in.
Me on day 3 of project: I don't understand any of this.
Me on day 4: Let's start again. Simple to start this time.
Me to student B: Keep it simple at first.
Me on day 1 of project: Let's get a nice chunk of complexity in.
Me on day 3 of project: I don't understand any of this.
Me on day 4: Let's start again. Simple to start this time.
January 27, 2026 at 3:32 PM
Me to student A: Start super simple, then build up.
Me to student B: Keep it simple at first.
Me on day 1 of project: Let's get a nice chunk of complexity in.
Me on day 3 of project: I don't understand any of this.
Me on day 4: Let's start again. Simple to start this time.
Me to student B: Keep it simple at first.
Me on day 1 of project: Let's get a nice chunk of complexity in.
Me on day 3 of project: I don't understand any of this.
Me on day 4: Let's start again. Simple to start this time.
God I love go magic. www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9sA...
A 13x13 Game Between Beginner Players with Commentary | Go Game Review
YouTube video by Go Magic
www.youtube.com
January 23, 2026 at 9:53 PM
God I love go magic. www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9sA...
Reposted by Stats For Bios
Two general themes they agreed on immediately:
1. If they used AI for everything, they would learn nothing, and come out of college with no valuable skills, and be replaceable by an AI.
2. All available AI detection software was unreliable and unjust. (I agree with this.)
1. If they used AI for everything, they would learn nothing, and come out of college with no valuable skills, and be replaceable by an AI.
2. All available AI detection software was unreliable and unjust. (I agree with this.)
January 22, 2026 at 11:36 PM
Two general themes they agreed on immediately:
1. If they used AI for everything, they would learn nothing, and come out of college with no valuable skills, and be replaceable by an AI.
2. All available AI detection software was unreliable and unjust. (I agree with this.)
1. If they used AI for everything, they would learn nothing, and come out of college with no valuable skills, and be replaceable by an AI.
2. All available AI detection software was unreliable and unjust. (I agree with this.)
Autocorrect had spent decades telling me I'm ducking pissed off..
However, in writing this skeet, it was convinced I wanted to say "non-fucking books".
Are they the best or worst books?
However, in writing this skeet, it was convinced I wanted to say "non-fucking books".
Are they the best or worst books?
The referencing in so many non-fiction books is really sub-par. It's a sprinkling of fairy dust rather than a committed attempt to evidence every claim made.
Disappointing in an undergrad thesis. Inexcusable (but so common) in a published book trying to change people's opinions and behaviours.
Disappointing in an undergrad thesis. Inexcusable (but so common) in a published book trying to change people's opinions and behaviours.
January 23, 2026 at 12:14 AM
Autocorrect had spent decades telling me I'm ducking pissed off..
However, in writing this skeet, it was convinced I wanted to say "non-fucking books".
Are they the best or worst books?
However, in writing this skeet, it was convinced I wanted to say "non-fucking books".
Are they the best or worst books?
The referencing in so many non-fiction books is really sub-par. It's a sprinkling of fairy dust rather than a committed attempt to evidence every claim made.
Disappointing in an undergrad thesis. Inexcusable (but so common) in a published book trying to change people's opinions and behaviours.
Disappointing in an undergrad thesis. Inexcusable (but so common) in a published book trying to change people's opinions and behaviours.
January 23, 2026 at 12:12 AM
The referencing in so many non-fiction books is really sub-par. It's a sprinkling of fairy dust rather than a committed attempt to evidence every claim made.
Disappointing in an undergrad thesis. Inexcusable (but so common) in a published book trying to change people's opinions and behaviours.
Disappointing in an undergrad thesis. Inexcusable (but so common) in a published book trying to change people's opinions and behaviours.
Biological species concept is all well and good. Then you start reading about Bengal cats and Savannah cats and it's clearly all nonsense. upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/co...
January 22, 2026 at 9:43 PM
Biological species concept is all well and good. Then you start reading about Bengal cats and Savannah cats and it's clearly all nonsense. upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/co...
£10k for data linkage and months of admin to get the data.
At some point, it really begins to feel like these open datasets are not actually accessible. These timeframes and costs only really work if you have a paper mill going where specific grants and extractions are fluid.
At some point, it really begins to feel like these open datasets are not actually accessible. These timeframes and costs only really work if you have a paper mill going where specific grants and extractions are fluid.
January 22, 2026 at 7:53 AM
£10k for data linkage and months of admin to get the data.
At some point, it really begins to feel like these open datasets are not actually accessible. These timeframes and costs only really work if you have a paper mill going where specific grants and extractions are fluid.
At some point, it really begins to feel like these open datasets are not actually accessible. These timeframes and costs only really work if you have a paper mill going where specific grants and extractions are fluid.
It's pretty confusing how sometimes loading an R package loads the inbuilt datasets and sometimes doesn't. library(survival) loads rotterdam. And then data(rotterdam) gives a warning that the data isn't found! Pretty odd behaviour all round. #RStats
January 19, 2026 at 4:10 PM
It's pretty confusing how sometimes loading an R package loads the inbuilt datasets and sometimes doesn't. library(survival) loads rotterdam. And then data(rotterdam) gives a warning that the data isn't found! Pretty odd behaviour all round. #RStats
"As I write, highly civilized human beings are flying overhead, trying to kill me."
Phwoar. Orwell has some great first sentences.
Phwoar. Orwell has some great first sentences.
January 17, 2026 at 9:47 PM
"As I write, highly civilized human beings are flying overhead, trying to kill me."
Phwoar. Orwell has some great first sentences.
Phwoar. Orwell has some great first sentences.
Very happy to support people applying for this fellowship if you want to do a masters in Medical Statistics and a year of research. www.nihr.ac.uk/career-devel...
www.nihr.ac.uk
January 16, 2026 at 1:40 PM
Very happy to support people applying for this fellowship if you want to do a masters in Medical Statistics and a year of research. www.nihr.ac.uk/career-devel...
Reposted by Stats For Bios
wikipedia turns 25 today! the last unenshittified major website! backbone of online info! triumph of humanity! powered by urge of unpaid randos to correct each other! somehow mostly reliable! "good thing wikipedia works in practice, because it sure doesn't work in theory" - old wiki adage
January 15, 2026 at 1:47 PM
wikipedia turns 25 today! the last unenshittified major website! backbone of online info! triumph of humanity! powered by urge of unpaid randos to correct each other! somehow mostly reliable! "good thing wikipedia works in practice, because it sure doesn't work in theory" - old wiki adage