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Statistics Alive
Census Bureau obscured personal data - too well, some say 2010-02-06 Errors in some U.S. Census Bureau data are sending researchers inside and outside government scrambling to check whether some key findings need to be reassessed. After the Census Bureau compiles overall counts in its decennial population surveys and other studies, it releases additional details about respondents to outside researchers. But in order to protect respondents' privacy, the bureau masks some of the personal information in these so-called microdata. Read more... Lack of migration data hampering cooperation, integration in Southern Africa 2010-02-05 Efforts to foster socio-economic cooperation and integration within the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and to better manage migration in the region are being hampered by weaknesses in the collection and measurement of international migration data, International Organization for Migration (IOM) said Friday. Read more... Ecologists create a more precise way to measure human Impacts 2010-02-04 Ecologists from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County and Baylor University in Texas have developed a new method for measuring the impact of human-caused environmental degradation on biodiversity that is significantly more precise than current methods and has revealed a dramatically lower ecological “tipping point” at which species are threatened. Read more... Climate consensus under strain 2010-02-04 These scandals have done tremendous damage. This is not because they threaten the canon of climate science – that would require similar exposés of tens of thousands of scientific papers – but because they create an atmosphere of opacity and evasion. Rajendra Pachauri's initial dismissal of questions over the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's Himalayan glacier date suggests a failure to listen, which is inimical to scientific discourse. I am also amazed to learn that the IPCC doesn't pay its chairman, obliging him to work elsewhere, which has caused the other scandal in which he's embroiled. Anyone would think that running the organisation was a full-time job. This isn't a task for amateurs. Read more... Moving from ‘what happened?’ to ‘now what?’ is vital for business 2010-02-04 As they emerge from a period of profound recession and extreme volatility, organisations face a new competitive landscape – one in which rapid communications, proliferating data and fast-evolving customer segments are combining to create opportunities, but also complex risks. Read more... Trust me – I'm a statistician 2010-02-04 Trust me – I'm a statisticianSir Michael Scholar is on a mission to make you believe statistics and politicians. Is this the nation's most thankless task? Buzz up! Digg it Amelia Gentleman guardian.co.uk, Thursday 4 February 2010 23.52 GMT Article historySir Michael Scholar, chairman of the UK Statistics Authority, is campaigning to purify government statistics. He has warned party leaders he will be scrutinising their handling of figures to ensure that they are impartial during the election campaign. Read more... S.Africa economic confidence up on growth optimism 2010-02-04 South Africa's economic confidence improved in January, bolstered by growing optimism the economy will rebound this year after emerging from recession in the third quarter of 2009. Read more... Gap between rich and poor in South Africa widens 2010-02-03 The gap between the rich and poor in South Africa has widened, not only between race groups but also within race groups, suggesting that the government needs other policies besides black empowerment to redistribute wealth. Read more... OECD: Inequality in China leveling off 2010-02-03 The increase in inequality in China has leveled off in recent years and could be less severe than previously thought, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development says, suggesting that Beijing is starting to make progress in tackling one of its biggest social problems. Read more... Eureka's Top 30 science blogs 2010-02-03 Whether you are new to blogs or a practised poster, Eureka’s Top 30 Science Blogs will not disappoint. After much heated debate, the Eureka team have picked 30 of their favourite science, environment, health and technology blogs. If you want to know more about the latest NHS catastrophe or climate change scandal, someone on our list will have it covered. Read more...
Newsfeeds	News compiled by Richard Humphries