8 - A dip in the pool
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 11 August 2009
Summary
Meta-analyst: one who thinks that if manure is piled high enough it will smell like roses.
Guernsey McPearson, Drug Development DictionaryPearson père
Always an elaborately careful worker, a maker of long rows of variables, always realizing the presence of uncontrollable variables, always a vicious assailant of what he considered slackness or lie or pomposity, never too kindly to well-intentioned stupidity, he worked in the laboratories of Koch, of Pasteur, he followed the early statements of Pearson in biometrics …
Sinclair Lewis, ArrowsmithIt is time we had a closer look at Karl Pearson (1857–1936). He has already appeared a number of times in this book but we have yet to give him the attention he deserves. History has not been particularly kind to him. At the height of his powers he was one of the most famous scientists of the day. He seemed to be the biometrical messiah. Little did he know that he was simply preparing the way for one greater who was to come after him. However, if it was the gospel of Fisher that was to spread, it was Pearson who originally baptised scientists in the biometrical faith. There is no doubt that, at one time, Pearson was the man.
Amongst the acolytes who owe their biometrical baptism to Pearson are Major Greenwood, the first Professor of Epidemiology at the London School of Hygiene, and Bradford Hill Greenwood's successor. Both attended his lectures. Student received permission from Guinness to have leave for one year to study with him.
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- Information
- Dicing with DeathChance, Risk and Health, pp. 142 - 161Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2003