We've written about BIG data before and while some reckon it's sexy, you better roll up your sleeves because you'll invariably need to do a lot of 'janitorial' (a.k.a. shit) work first!
Ron Sandland recently wrote about the new phenomenon of 'big data' - weighing up the benefits and concerns. Terry Speed reflected on the same issue in a talk earlier this year inGothenburg, Sweeden noting that this is nothing new to statisticians. So what's all the fuss about? Here's another take on the 'big data' bandwagon.
Canadian Environmental Science and Regulation under threat 12 April 2013
The Canadian Federal Government is making drastic reductions in the reach and capabilities of its environmental science departments. Read Peter Wells's Marine Pollution Bulletin article.
What is happening in Canada at the moment resonates with many Australian scientists. According to Wells, employees in Canada's federal agencies have been told "as public employees, their duty is to support the elected government".
In Australia, CSIRO has again been in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons after it was revealed that it (allegedly) was involved in less than ethical business dealings (click here for full story).
In a separate review, a team of independent experts found that many of CSIRO's divisions are falling behind in research outcomes. According to an article in today's Age newspaper, this slump in science quality is the result of intense pressure from management to meet external revenue targets (click here for full story)
Click here for the Marine Pollution Bulletin article.
