The AstroStat Slog

Hyunsook drew attention to this paper (arXiv:0709.4531v1) by Brad Schaefer on the underdispersed measurements of the distances to LMC. He makes a compelling case that since 2002 published numbers in the literature have been hewing to an “acceptable number”, possibly in an unconscious effort to pass muster with their referees. Essentially, the distribution of the best-fit distances are much more closely clustered than you would expect from the quoted sizes of the error bars. Continue reading ‘“you are biased, I have an informative prior”’ »

[arXiv:0709.3093v1] Short Timescale Coronal Variability in Capella (Kashyap & Posson-Brown)

We recently submitted that paper to AJ, and rather ironically, I did the analysis during the same time frame as this discussion was going on, about how astronomers cannot rely on repeating observations. Ironic because the result reported there hinges on the existence of small, but persistent signal that is found in repeated observations of the same source. Doubly ironic in fact, in that just as we were backing and forthing about cultural differences I seemed to have gone and done something completely contrary to my heritage! Continue reading ‘Betraying your heritage’ »