Not so amusing, followed by amusing.

[quietann]

Phrase of the day: "polytomous logistic regression" As in, this is an analysis I'll be doing ... eventually ... on some of our HIV-RNA data. Oh joy.

(Brief explanation: logistic regression is used when one has a binary outcome variable, and wants to use other variables to predict outcome. Polytomous logistic regression is a variant used when one's outcome variable is ordinal, in this case "1 resistance mutation, 2 resistance mutations, 3 resistance mutations...")

Sentence OTD (in someone's friends-locked post): But the penis cuffs told another story...

Comments

[prezzey.livejournal.com]

I just realized the other day how much of a shock value statistics has. I told one of my students "hmm, I think you should do binary logistic regression on that" and she became all pale and frightened and said on a shocky voice "binary WHAT?!?"* So, are you trying to do something like this to your friendslist? :D (It has never occurred to me how scary it was, because I was introduced to it gradually, but when something like that is dropped on one's head out of the blue, it must be horrifying. Definitely on par with the penis cuffs LOL.)

I'm reading this batch of fMRI articles right now and I'm undergoing the same effect myself, only with fMRI technique... well, thank G-d I had an fMRI primer, so at least I know what a "BOLD signal" is, and basic stuff like that... but there are places I can only go 'yeah well whatever'.

________________
* They have wildly different backgrounds, so I can't really gouge their reactions in advance... They bring me stuff from huge messy path analysis models to "how do I enter my data" types. Logistic regression is part of the curriculum in some specializations, and it apparently isn't in some others. (Technically, everyone has to take at least one advanced statistics class to get their MAs, but I can't help wondering about some of those classes, since I routinely get people who are writing their masters theses and are completely and thoroughly helpless.)

[quietann.livejournal.com]

I taught biostatistics to medical students for a semester and hated it, because these supposedly very intelligent folks could get themselves so wound up about "OMG teh math!" I had veterinary students in the same class, and they were smart. But it is a lot harder to get into vet school than med school, so I should not have been surprised.

Logistic regression is a very neat tool, but can you believe that we never even touched it in my psychology PhD program? It was only when I started studying biostatistics that I learned anything about it. Ditto survival analysis...

[3diff.livejournal.com]

As opposed to "polyamorous logistical regression," which occurs when someone's car breaks down and they can't make their normal Wednesday, so someone else's Thursday has to be postponed...

[quietann.livejournal.com]

agh!!! you are breaking me!!!

[3diff.livejournal.com]

Wait, I get it! And because the Thursday date gets cancelled, the penis cuffs don't get back to their owner in time! Now your post about polyamorous logistical regression makes complete sense. :-)

[davidfcooper.livejournal.com]

The first part of this post went over my head; If I gave it some thought I could probably make sense of it, but I'm way too math phobic for that.

Penis cuffs are also new to my vocabulary, but a quick search lead to this: http://www.terso.de/erotikshop/versand.php/products_id/3830
They look really small; maybe they're supposed to be put on when the wearer is flaccid.

[quietann.livejournal.com]

in this case, penis cuffs referred to a device for measuring sexual arousal, not a BDSM tool. That sentence taken out of context just cracked me up, though...

[davidfcooper.livejournal.com]

I thought measuring tape was the preferred method of measuring sexual arousal--you learn something new every day.

We look forward to seeing you on Sunday (probably late afternoon/early evening).

[ckd]

I heard that being said in the Count's voice (from Electric Company).

"One resistance mutation, hahahaha. Two resistance mutations, hahahaha. Three! Three resistance mutations!"

[quietann.livejournal.com]

agh... too funny. I suppose that sometime I will have to try that approach with my boss, Victor. He'll either laugh or get very confused...

[whitebird.livejournal.com]

I read it that way as well. Or maybe as Count Dracula from the Muppets?

[madbodger.livejournal.com]

I love it when you talk dirty! The penis cuffs were amusing too.