Thomas Lumley
@tslumley.bsky.social
Biostatistician. Baritone. He/Him.
Product of more than one country.
May contain nuts.
Product of more than one country.
May contain nuts.
Reposted by Thomas Lumley
It is truly shite that after running NCEA level 2 for 20 years NZQA still haven’t figured out how to get images into past exam papers. (And also that exemplars are images of handwritten scripts. Accessibility anyone?)
November 10, 2025 at 7:33 PM
It is truly shite that after running NCEA level 2 for 20 years NZQA still haven’t figured out how to get images into past exam papers. (And also that exemplars are images of handwritten scripts. Accessibility anyone?)
Reposted by Thomas Lumley
The New York Times profiles Gandalf, the Northland green fairy facing charges of cultivating, possessing and selling cannabis and cannabis oil. We need to change our cannabis laws. (This is a gift link you can read for free) www.nytimes.com/2025/11/10/w...
‘Gandalf’ the Medical Marijuana Grower: Folk Hero or Criminal?
www.nytimes.com
November 10, 2025 at 6:54 PM
The New York Times profiles Gandalf, the Northland green fairy facing charges of cultivating, possessing and selling cannabis and cannabis oil. We need to change our cannabis laws. (This is a gift link you can read for free) www.nytimes.com/2025/11/10/w...
Reposted by Thomas Lumley
Once again, Jason shows that Loeb is full of crap.
I've summarized the truth about Loeb's 10 "anomalies" about 3I/ATLAS in one post.
Thanks to @deschscoveries.bsky.social @michael-w-busch.bsky.social @cometary.org and @marshall-eubanks.bsky.social for contributing their expertise!
Thanks to @deschscoveries.bsky.social @michael-w-busch.bsky.social @cometary.org and @marshall-eubanks.bsky.social for contributing their expertise!
Loeb’s 3I/ATLAS “Anomalies” Explained
Avi Loeb continues to claim that 3I/ATLAS has many anomalous behaviors that lead to the conclusion that it “might” be an alien spacecraft. He carefully hedges the probability that it is a spacecraft ...
sites.psu.edu
November 10, 2025 at 6:32 PM
Once again, Jason shows that Loeb is full of crap.
Chris Thile has a new Bach Sonatas & Partitas album out. It's much less traditional than the first one. I think I like it?
November 10, 2025 at 6:17 AM
Chris Thile has a new Bach Sonatas & Partitas album out. It's much less traditional than the first one. I think I like it?
Reposted by Thomas Lumley
Stats NZ is “seeking a forward-thinking AI Privacy Advisor to lead the development and enforcement of privacy frameworks across our AI systems and data-driven operations. This role is critical in ensuring ethical AI deployment,”
jobs.govt.nz/jobtools/jnc...
jobs.govt.nz/jobtools/jnc...
Senior Privacy Advisor | Kaitohutohu Matua Tūmataiti | Wellington | NZ Government Jobs
Senior Privacy Advisor | Kaitohutohu Matua Tūmataiti | Wellington | NZ Government Jobs
jobs.govt.nz
November 10, 2025 at 2:22 AM
Stats NZ is “seeking a forward-thinking AI Privacy Advisor to lead the development and enforcement of privacy frameworks across our AI systems and data-driven operations. This role is critical in ensuring ethical AI deployment,”
jobs.govt.nz/jobtools/jnc...
jobs.govt.nz/jobtools/jnc...
Reposted by Thomas Lumley
What happened when I dug into some of the key studies and ideas quoted in The Tipping Point and its sequel… kucharski.substack.com/p/the-real-r...
November 9, 2025 at 1:44 PM
What happened when I dug into some of the key studies and ideas quoted in The Tipping Point and its sequel… kucharski.substack.com/p/the-real-r...
Reposted by Thomas Lumley
This profile in ‘Significance’ on DuckDB co-founder Hannes Mühleisen is quite interesting, and has helpful insights about data quality and the changing meaning of “big data.” Also some good professional advice in here for statisticians.
academic.oup.com/jrssig/artic...
academic.oup.com/jrssig/artic...
Is big data dead?
Abstract. Data, ducks and statistics – Sandra Alba gathers dispatches from Amsterdam and Auckland
academic.oup.com
November 9, 2025 at 5:47 PM
This profile in ‘Significance’ on DuckDB co-founder Hannes Mühleisen is quite interesting, and has helpful insights about data quality and the changing meaning of “big data.” Also some good professional advice in here for statisticians.
academic.oup.com/jrssig/artic...
academic.oup.com/jrssig/artic...
Reposted by Thomas Lumley
Approiximately my Belz Lecture in Melbourne from a couple of weeks ago (there may be a recording later?)
notstatschat.rbind.io/2025/10/30/l...
notstatschat.rbind.io/2025/10/30/l...
Laws and Orders - Biased and Inefficient
notstatschat.rbind.io
November 9, 2025 at 6:15 AM
Approiximately my Belz Lecture in Melbourne from a couple of weeks ago (there may be a recording later?)
notstatschat.rbind.io/2025/10/30/l...
notstatschat.rbind.io/2025/10/30/l...
Approiximately my Belz Lecture in Melbourne from a couple of weeks ago (there may be a recording later?)
notstatschat.rbind.io/2025/10/30/l...
notstatschat.rbind.io/2025/10/30/l...
Laws and Orders - Biased and Inefficient
notstatschat.rbind.io
November 9, 2025 at 6:15 AM
Approiximately my Belz Lecture in Melbourne from a couple of weeks ago (there may be a recording later?)
notstatschat.rbind.io/2025/10/30/l...
notstatschat.rbind.io/2025/10/30/l...
"Oh come on! That was not six months" -- Persephone, seeing Christmas decorations
November 9, 2025 at 3:06 AM
"Oh come on! That was not six months" -- Persephone, seeing Christmas decorations
Second batch of exams done. Third and largest batch doesn't arrive until Friday
November 9, 2025 at 1:39 AM
Second batch of exams done. Third and largest batch doesn't arrive until Friday
Reposted by Thomas Lumley
“But Kartik, how do we know the genotypes are wrong?”
Trios! Both cohorts have ~1k parent-offspring trios that were recruited incidentally.
Applying genotype-level QC reduces Mendelian errors by ~60-80% (even in All of Us where they already did genotype-level QC on hom-refs!)
Trios! Both cohorts have ~1k parent-offspring trios that were recruited incidentally.
Applying genotype-level QC reduces Mendelian errors by ~60-80% (even in All of Us where they already did genotype-level QC on hom-refs!)
November 8, 2025 at 9:31 AM
“But Kartik, how do we know the genotypes are wrong?”
Trios! Both cohorts have ~1k parent-offspring trios that were recruited incidentally.
Applying genotype-level QC reduces Mendelian errors by ~60-80% (even in All of Us where they already did genotype-level QC on hom-refs!)
Trios! Both cohorts have ~1k parent-offspring trios that were recruited incidentally.
Applying genotype-level QC reduces Mendelian errors by ~60-80% (even in All of Us where they already did genotype-level QC on hom-refs!)
If you write a whole book about how you were just inches ahead of your competition, you are estopped from claiming any grand historical impact from being first.
November 8, 2025 at 5:00 AM
If you write a whole book about how you were just inches ahead of your competition, you are estopped from claiming any grand historical impact from being first.
Reposted by Thomas Lumley
I gave the closing keynote at posit::conf in September and it's available to watch. When you find yourself giving a talk with a little tiny microphone stuck to the side of your head you have to ask yourself some hard questions, but the talk was partly about that.
youtu.be/ZamPCbvBAgE
youtu.be/ZamPCbvBAgE
Trustworthy Data Visualization (Kieran Healy, Duke University) | posit::conf(2025)
YouTube video by Posit PBC
youtu.be
November 7, 2025 at 9:20 PM
I gave the closing keynote at posit::conf in September and it's available to watch. When you find yourself giving a talk with a little tiny microphone stuck to the side of your head you have to ask yourself some hard questions, but the talk was partly about that.
youtu.be/ZamPCbvBAgE
youtu.be/ZamPCbvBAgE
Reposted by Thomas Lumley
Folks, here's my take on the @methanesat.bsky.social project - TLDR: they tried for all three of "good, fast and cheap" and wound up with none...
Lost In Space: New Zealand's $30M Participation Trophy
"Good, fast and cheap" MethaneSAT tried for all three and got none.
MBIE and the New Zealand Space Agency missed red flags in the initial bid.
The MethaneSAT project did not keep promises of ope...
excursionset.com
November 7, 2025 at 7:49 PM
Folks, here's my take on the @methanesat.bsky.social project - TLDR: they tried for all three of "good, fast and cheap" and wound up with none...
Hairbrush lily and extradimensional tentacle monsters
November 7, 2025 at 12:24 AM
Hairbrush lily and extradimensional tentacle monsters
Reposted by Thomas Lumley
This is a really nice blog post about the value of open source in #DataViz 📊
"Trust matters in data visualization. People need to believe what they see. Open source makes that possible because you can look under the hood and see how things work." - couldn't agree more!
"Trust matters in data visualization. People need to believe what they see. Open source makes that possible because you can look under the hood and see how things work." - couldn't agree more!
The Open Visualization Academy's newsletter is expanding! New contributor: Melissa Strong, who is also co-designing the OVA's website. Her first article in a series of 6: 'How Open Source Fuels the Future of Data Visualization (Part 1)
' openvisualizationacademy.beehiiv.com/p/how-open-s...
' openvisualizationacademy.beehiiv.com/p/how-open-s...
How Open Source Fuels the Future of Data Visualization (Part 1)
Free software is a matter of liberty, not price. Think of “free” as in “free speech,” not “free beer.” — Richard Stallman
openvisualizationacademy.beehiiv.com
November 6, 2025 at 11:47 PM
This is a really nice blog post about the value of open source in #DataViz 📊
"Trust matters in data visualization. People need to believe what they see. Open source makes that possible because you can look under the hood and see how things work." - couldn't agree more!
"Trust matters in data visualization. People need to believe what they see. Open source makes that possible because you can look under the hood and see how things work." - couldn't agree more!
Reposted by Thomas Lumley
And here’s the crowdfunding link if you want to contribute or share www.pledgeme.co.nz/projects/852...
Support Dr Siouxsie After She Supported Us! | PledgeMe
Support Dr Siouxsie to recover some of the money she spent fighting her legal case to protect employees experiencing online abuse
www.pledgeme.co.nz
November 6, 2025 at 6:27 PM
And here’s the crowdfunding link if you want to contribute or share www.pledgeme.co.nz/projects/852...
Reposted by Thomas Lumley
BusinessDesk has a fantastic (and rare) for a data journalist in New Zealand. The Herald and BusinessDesk are separate publications, but whoever is in this role will work with me on projects like Budget day visualisations 1/2
careers.nzme.co.nz/jobs/6697721...
careers.nzme.co.nz/jobs/6697721...
Data Journalist - BusinessDesk - NZME
Join BusinessDesk as a Data Journalist—break market-moving stories, visualise insights, and set the global benchmark for data-driven reporting.
careers.nzme.co.nz
November 5, 2025 at 8:41 PM
BusinessDesk has a fantastic (and rare) for a data journalist in New Zealand. The Herald and BusinessDesk are separate publications, but whoever is in this role will work with me on projects like Budget day visualisations 1/2
careers.nzme.co.nz/jobs/6697721...
careers.nzme.co.nz/jobs/6697721...
Reposted by Thomas Lumley
And we have another open position, this time with a focus on Genome Biology! Join a great community in Vienna to bring your research to the next level!
📢 Open Call! The Max Perutz Labs invite applications for a Tenure-Track Professorship in Genome Biology. We are particularly interested in researchers investigating the molecular and biophysical mechanisms underlying genome function and regulation. More details ➡️ tinyurl.com/3t7vvdct
November 6, 2025 at 4:35 AM
And we have another open position, this time with a focus on Genome Biology! Join a great community in Vienna to bring your research to the next level!
Reposted by Thomas Lumley
Ok,a very informal survey. I need suggestions as to the best UG programs in criminology, criminal justice, crime science internationally. Context: we need to persuade my Uni of what the contents have to be for our reformed program & need to arm myself with arguments and good examples
November 5, 2025 at 5:58 PM
Ok,a very informal survey. I need suggestions as to the best UG programs in criminology, criminal justice, crime science internationally. Context: we need to persuade my Uni of what the contents have to be for our reformed program & need to arm myself with arguments and good examples
Reposted by Thomas Lumley
Ooh, can I push you into writing a story about the MPs (especially the opposition MPs) who clearly think New Zealand law is perfect and needs no updating or changing because they almost never have a members bill proposal in the ballot?
November 5, 2025 at 9:48 PM
Ooh, can I push you into writing a story about the MPs (especially the opposition MPs) who clearly think New Zealand law is perfect and needs no updating or changing because they almost never have a members bill proposal in the ballot?
Reposted by Thomas Lumley
NZ First MPs keep proposing laws they have no intention of passing, and the media falls for it every time.
thespinoff.co.nz/politics/06-...
thespinoff.co.nz/politics/06-...
The brilliant performative politics of NZ First’s fake members’ bills
NZ First MPs keep proposing laws they have no intention of passing, and the media falls for it every time.
thespinoff.co.nz
November 5, 2025 at 4:41 PM
NZ First MPs keep proposing laws they have no intention of passing, and the media falls for it every time.
thespinoff.co.nz/politics/06-...
thespinoff.co.nz/politics/06-...
Reposted by Thomas Lumley
Biosecurity lays over 100 yellow-legged hornets traps, genetically tests captured insects
Biosecurity lays over 100 yellow-legged hornets traps, genetically tests captured insects
A total of six of the pests have been found, including four queens and two males.
www.rnz.co.nz
November 5, 2025 at 5:00 PM
Biosecurity lays over 100 yellow-legged hornets traps, genetically tests captured insects