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HI All The THES has missed the point of Matt's analysis altogether. He's actually using humour to make a serious point about the properties of random data - a point which the THES, being presumably written by arts types probably doesn't understand! Happy snowday Richard Ellam L M Interactive Science Shows and Hands-On Stuff tel/fax 01761 412 797 [log in to unmask] On 5 Jan 2010, at 23:19, Ian Griffin wrote: > Since when has THES been the arbiter of genuine wit? Frankly this > was a brilliant piece and we should be celebrating a triumph of > humour over poor reporting. My vote is with Matt. > > > > > > Ian Griffin > CEO > The Oxford Trust > 1-5 London Place > Oxford > OX4 1BD > > Sent from my iPhone > > On 5 Jan 2010, at 22:00, "Michael Kenward" > <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>> wrote: > > Goodie. Another target for Bad Science? > > To quote the THES: > > “academics who develop equations that serve commercial PR purposes > can create confusion between work that is of genuine scholarly > value and pseudo-research and can fuel a public perception that > they are “bonkers”, “waste money on pointless research” and “will > deliver results according to who pays”“ > > <http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp? > sectioncode=26&storycode=409710&c=1>http:// > www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp? > sectioncode=26&storycode=409710&c=1 > > or > > <http://goo.gl/ksww>http://goo.gl/ksww > > MK > > > > From: psci-com: on public engagement with science [mailto:PSCI- > [log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Matt Parker > Sent: 05 January 2010 16:19 > To: <mailto:[log in to unmask]> PSCI- > [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> > Subject: [PSCI-COM] Locations of Ancient Woolworths Stores follow > Precise Geometrical Pattern > > Press Release – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE > 5 January 2010 > > > Locations of Ancient Woolworths Stores follow > Precise Geometrical Pattern > > > Matt Parker, based in the School of Mathematical Sciences at Queen > Mary, University of London, has analysed the locations of the 800 > Woolworths stores to reveal precise geometric patterns. This wasAll > this goes to show that the unthinkable can and does happen. Who > would think that the casing of the combustion chamber/heating cell > could leak in a virtually new boiler.based on the work of Mr Tom > Brooks (a retired marketing executive of Honiton, Devon) who found > similar patterns in prehistoric monuments across the UK. > > Mr Brooks looked at 1500 sites and found that some of them follow > geometric patterns and he concluded that they must have been part > of a sophisticated navigational system. This was reported in the UK > national press on 5 January 2010, with the Daily Mail reporting > that the patterns were so “sophisticated and accurate” that “he > does not rule out extraterrestrial help.” > > Matt Parker then decided to apply this technique to another ancient > and mysterious civilisation: that of the Woolworths stores. > > “We know so little about the ancient Woolworth stores, but we do > still know their locations” explains Matt Parker, “so I thought > that if we analysed the sites we could learn more about what life > was like in 2008 and how these people went about buying cheap > kitchen accessories and discount CDs.” > > The results revealed an exact and precise geometric placement of > the Woolworths locations. Three stores around Birmingham formed an > exact equilateral triangle (Wolverhampton, Lichfield and Birmingham > stores) and if the base of the triangle is extended, it forms a > 173.8 mile line linking the Conwy and Luton stores. Despite the > 173.8 mile distance involved, the Conway Woolworths store is only > 40 feet off the exact line and the Luton site is within 30 feet. > All four stores align with an accuracy of 0.05%. > > The bisector of this same triangle then passes through the > Monmouth, West Bromwich and Alfreton store locations with an > accuracy of 0.5%. There are also grids of isosceles triangles – > those with two sides of equal length – on each side of the > Birmingham Woolworths Triangle. One such isosceles triangle made > with Stafford only has an error of 3% and it points directly at the > Northwich Woolworths store that is itself only 0.6% off being > exactly isosceles. > > Matt Parker concludes that “these incredibly precise geometric > patterns mean that the people who founded the Woolworths Empire > must have used these store locations as a form of ‘landmark satnav’ > to help hunters find their nearest source of cheap sweets that can > be purchased in whatever mix they chose to pick. Well, that or the > fact that in any sufficiently large set of random data it is > possible to find meaningless patterns of any required accuracy.” > > These patterns were found from the 800 random ex-Woolworth > locations by simply skipping over the vast majority of the sites > and only choosing the few that happen to line-up. Matt Parker > claims he could find many more such patterns, but he had some > actual real work to do. He does envy Mr Tom Brooks though, who with > 1500 locations, had almost twice as much data to pull meaningless > patterns from. > > “It is extremely important to look at how much data people are > using to support an argument” Matt Parker warned. “For example, the > case for global warming covers vast amounts of comprehensive > evidence, but it is still possible for people to search through the > data and find a few isolated examples that appear to show otherwise.” > > Map showing locations and patterns: > <http://standupmaths.com/images/woolworths-locations.jpg>http:// > standupmaths.com/images/woolworths-locations.jpg > > > ENDS > > Notes for Editors > > Contact Matt Parker for high resolution images and for versions > without Google Maps copyright. All location data and calculations > are also available. > > Contact: > Matt Parker > <mailto:[log in to unmask]>[log in to unmask]<mailto:matt@standu > pmaths.com> > Ph. (+44) 7962 466288 > > Original media coverage of Mr Tom Brooks’ findings: > > <http://www.metro.co.uk/news/807855-did-prehistoric-satnav-help- > britons-find-their-way>http://www.metro.co.uk/news/807855-did- > prehistoric-satnav-help-britons-find-their-way > <http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1213400/Ancient-man- > used-stone-sat-nav-navigate-country.html>http://www.dailymail.co.uk/ > sciencetech/article-1213400/Ancient-man-used-stone-sat-nav-navigate- > country.html > ********************************************************************** > 1. To suspend yourself from the list, whilst on leave, for > example, send an email to mailto:[log in to unmask] with the > following message: > > set psci-com nomail -- [include hyphens] > > 2. To resume email from the list, send an email to > [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> with the > message: > > set psci-com mail -- [include hyphens] > > 3. 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