Monthly Archives: August 2014

Everything we know is still false

John Ioannidis’ paper, Why Most Published Research Findings Are False has now reached the mainstream media.  If you’re quick, you can listen to a BBC radio programme about the limitations of science: Everything We Know Is Wrong   BBC Radio 4 … Continue reading

Posted in Philosophy, Practical problems, Questions, Science | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Validating sunk costs

UKAS commissioned an independent market research company to assess its success in prompting awareness of accreditation.  It’s a poor survey that falls well short of the standards that would be required in medical research, yet pathology is making itself subservient … Continue reading

Posted in Economics, Laboratory medicine, Management, NHS, Questions, Science | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Let doctors decide

Governments, like their poor relations, inspectors, have no purpose but compulsion and standardisation of human behaviour.  Those in the right gang benefit; those outside usually just pay. German and Swiss doctors have said that legally mandated infection control measures should … Continue reading

Posted in Bureaucracy, Laboratory medicine, Medicine, NHS | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Readers: Edit UKAS’s Wikipedia advertisement

UKAS has not proved itself up to writing its own promotional material to the international standards required by Wikipedia.  It has displayed its bias clearly (but without stating its confidence limits, as it requires of its victims). Wikipedia warns that … Continue reading

Posted in Computing, Introduction, Laboratory medicine | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment