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Margaret Mitchell

Margaret Mitchell is a computer scientist who works on algorithmic bias and fairness in machine learning. She is most well… more

Margaret Mitchell
H-index: 50
Computer science 94%
Psychology 5%
mmitchell.bsky.social
Aside: Did the CEO of Tylenol anger the administration? It's odd they're focusing on a specific brand, no? Not the active ingredient, acetaminophen (also called paracetamol)? Is buying Generic Acetaminophen fine, but not Tylenol? This seems to me like there's something else behind the scenes. /end
mmitchell.bsky.social
Here,
- Experimenter bias (and bad science) influences how the severity scale is constructed
- The misunderstanding of the difference between correlation and causation gives rise to a pretty incendiary conclusion
- Which will likely make tons of waves b/c public at large will miss this.
8/
mmitchell.bsky.social
Now let's look at the other example Experimenter Bias Protocol.
- If a "severity" scale is used for this experiment where "severity" incorporates "tendency to self-harm", then people who rank "severe" will have more injuries.
- Increased injuries --> increased Tylenol use.
7/
mmitchell.bsky.social
- Showing a "link" of any sort doesn't show *causation*. Related: Correlation is not causation.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Correla...
- If your experiment, by design, links 2 things, then a result showing that they're linked comes from *you linking them*. (That's classic experimenter bias fallacy.)
6/
Correlation does not imply causation - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
mmitchell.bsky.social
The experimental design doesn't disprove the *opposite* idea, that Tylenol use is linked to *no* autism.
I.e., There is no piece of that design that accounts for the fact that the majority of people probably have taken acetaminophen. 5/
mmitchell.bsky.social
In the first protocol, the issues are:
- It starts with ppl w/ autism, not the population at large. The majority of all people have probably taken acetaminophen, so, the majority of people with autism have prob taken acetaminophen. BUT, the majority of ppl *without* autism have prob taken it. 4/
mmitchell.bsky.social
Experimenter bias protocol #2, more 🔥:
1. Take group of people with autism
2. Isolate those who've taken acetaminophen
3. Rank them along a scale of "autism severity"
4. Calculate *how much* each has taken
5. Possible Result: "Increased Severity of Autism Associated with Increased Use of Tylenol"
3/
mmitchell.bsky.social
Experimenter bias protocol #1:
(1) Take a group of people with autism
(2) Calculate how many of them have taken paracetamol/acetaminophen (the active ingredient in Tylenol)
(3) Establish that the majority of them have
(4) Report: "Tylenol linked to almost ALL cases of Autism"
2/
mmitchell.bsky.social
Oh I hope so! It made me laugh out loud, it was such a perfect description of the intention of the play *EXCEPT FOR* the "emotional resonance" bit. That's the bit that made me think it was a legitimate review.
mmitchell.bsky.social
"Experimenter bias" refers to a mistake in scientific studies where the experimenter wants to see something, and so unconsciously designs protocols to prove what they want to see. RFK here provides an example, Let me explain what we might see based on this. 🧵
atrupar.com
RFK Jr on Tylenol and autism: "It is not proof. We're doing the studies to make the proof."
mmitchell.bsky.social
🎭 Come for the Godot, stay for Alex Winter running with so much momentum he makes it to the ceiling.
mmitchell.bsky.social
🎭 As a Samuel Beckett and Alex Winter fan, I highly, highly *highly* recommend going to see this version of Godot. Laugh-out-loud funny, masterfully handled some of the confusions from text. Use of funnel as stage was brilliant. Only props were hats and shoes. Beckett would be proud.
Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter as Gogo and Didi, sitting in a funnel-shaped tan/white stage against a stark black background.
mmitchell.bsky.social
🎭 As a Samuel Beckett and Alex Winter fan, I highly, highly *highly* recommend going to see this version of Godot. Laugh-out-loud funny, masterfully handled some of the confusions from text. Use of funnel as stage was brilliant. Only props were hats and shoes. Beckett would be proud.
Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter as Gogo and Didi, sitting in a funnel-shaped tan/white stage against a stark black background.
mmitchell.bsky.social
Apparently this was Portland last night. Gosh I love my home away from home. ❤️
mmitchell.bsky.social
🎭 😱 📣 Portlanders and Seattlites!! Come see the "Birth of Horror" on film: Some the first visual recordings of the horror genre, ca ~1900, from around the world -- for the first time with *sound* (score + foley)! Showings on October 27th (SEA) / 29th (PDX)!! 🧵
www.youtube.com/watch?v=SG9C...
Church of Film & Hexafoils: THE BIRTH OF HORROR Trailer
YouTube video by Muriel Lucas
www.youtube.com

Reposted by Margaret Mitchell

savannah.dev
The stable release of Python 3.14 is out now! Go, go, go update! 🙌

discuss.python.org/t/python-3-1...
Cute illustrated logo featuring a pink/peach colored pie displaying ‘3.14’ (pi), surrounded by two snakes in blue and yellow. The design is encircled by text reading ‘r-strings • zsid • free-threading • support • sub-interpreters • REPL highlighting • note colour • colour’ in a circular arrangement. The illustration uses a soft pastel color palette with blue, yellow, and pink tones, and includes decorative sparkle elements.
mmitchell.bsky.social
This. Also edits to “base” visuals and slides depending on the event.
mmitchell.bsky.social
This post about Waffles that’s going viral doesn’t credit (what I believe to be) the source, Bravo Coolee, on Twitter a few years ago. Just wanna shout out the original. Still viral thru another person’s rewrite today.
Twitter screenshot from  @BravoCoolee

“Twitter is the only place where well articulated sentences still get misinterpreted. 

You can say “I like pancakes” and somebody will say “So you hate waffles?’

No bitch. Dats a whole new sentence. Wtf is you talking about.
mmitchell.bsky.social
My #SixOnSaturday with Fringe Tree berries, pink Wax Begonia flowers, just-opened crimson Mums, Black-capped Chickadee eating a Dogwood berry, scarlet Nasturtium, red blueberry leaf fallen into native PNW Slough Sedge.
mmitchell.bsky.social
This article makes me really sad. CW pictures of the bloody 84 yo.
She explains, “I never thought federal officers could behave this way…I always thought people must be provoking them or something, that they would never do this unprovoked.” And “we are not Antifa…We’re just regular….”

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