forwarded from another list:

>
>Eric Krieg
>
>PS: on a more light-hearted vein: - a cynical interpretation of expressions:
>
>"IT HAS LONG BEEN KNOWN..."
>I didn't look up the original reference.
>
>"A DEFINITE TREND IS EVIDENT..."
>These data are practically meaningless.
>
>"WHILE IT HAS NOT BEEN POSSIBLE TO PROVIDE DEFINITE ANSWERS TO THESE
>QUESTIONS..."
>An unsuccessful experiment, but I still hope to get it published.
>
>"THREE OF THE SAMPLES WERE CHOSEN FOR DETAILED STUDY..."
>The results of the others did not make any sense.
>
>"TYPICAL RESULTS ARE SHOWN..."
>This is the prettiest graph.
>
>"THESE RESULTS WILL BE IN A SUBSEQUENT REPORT..."
>I might get around to this sometime, if pushed or funded.
>
>"THE MOST RELIABLE RESULTS ARE OBTAINED BY JONES..."
>He was my graduate student, and his grade depended on it.
>
>"IN MY EXPERIENCE..."
>Once.
>
>"IN CASE AFTER CASE..."
>Twice.
>
>"IN A SERIES OF CASES..."
>Thrice.
>
>"IT IS BELIEVED THAT..."
>I think.
>
>"IT IS GENERALLY BELIEVED THAT..."
>A couple of other guys think so too.
>
>"CORRECT WITHIN AN ORDER OF MAGNITUDE..."
>Wrong.
>
>"ACCORDING TO STATISTICAL ANALYSIS..."
>Rumor has it.
>
>"A STATISTICALLY-ORIENTED PROJECTION OF THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THESE
>FINDINGS..."
>A wild guess.
>
>"A CAREFUL ANALYSIS OF OBTAINABLE DATA..."
>Three pages of notes were obliterated when I knocked over a cup of
>coffee.
>
>"IT IS CLEAR THAT MUCH ADDITIONAL WORK WILL BE REQUIRED BEFORE A
>COMPLETE UNDERSTANDING OF THIS PHENOMENON OCCURS..."
>I don't understand it.
>
>"AFTER ADDITIONAL STUDY BY MY COLLEAGUES..."
>They don't understand it either.
>
>"THANKS ARE DUE TO JOE BLOTZ FOR ASSISTANCE WITH THE EXPERIMENT AND TO
>ANDREA SCHAEFFER FOR VALUABLE DISCUSSIONS..."
>Mr. Blotz did the work and Ms. Schaeffer explained to me what it meant.
>
>"A HIGHLY SIGNIFICANT AREA FOR EXPLORATORY STUDY..."
>A totally useless topic selected by my committee.
>
>"IT IS HOPED THAT THIS STUDY WILL STIMULATE FURTHER INVESTIGATION IN
>THIS FIELD..."
>I quit.
>
>
>--
><http://www.phact.org/e/>http://www.phact.org/e/
>

--

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Dr. Keith S. Taber
Senior Lecturer in Science Education
Homerton College, University of Cambridge

Royal Society of Chemistry Teacher Fellow 2000-2001

Visiting Fellow
Science & Technology Group
University of London Institute of Education
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