Apes in Lab Coats: Field Observations and Experimental Studies of the Scientist (Homo sapiens) Paperback – 7 Dec. 2023

I may be biased, but this book is totally excellent. Essential reading for anyone wanting to understand science and scientists.This is what NotebookLM had to say about the book:Apes in Lab Coats is a witty and insightful exposé on the often-irrational behaviours of scientists, contrasting the idealized, objective image of the scientific method with the realities of scientific practice. The book, written by an undercover ethologist who spent forty years observing scientists in their natural habitat – laboratories, universities, and industry – reveals a surprising lack of understanding of key concepts like variability, confirmation bias, and testability. The author uses humour, anecdotes, and real-world examples to illustrate how common cognitive biases and evolutionary-rooted instincts can lead to flawed research, technology transfer challenges, and even scientific fraud. He calls for a fundamental shift in scientific culture, advocating for greater transparency, methodological rigour, and the incorporation of experimental design tools into everyday practice to ensure the reliability of scientific results and the integrity of the scientific community. The book ultimately proposes a roadmap for fostering a culture of World Class Scientific Research by promoting critical thinking, a balanced evaluation of data, and the development of a new generation of scientists who are equipped to navigate the complex world of modern scientific research.

The content of the book is brilliant, absolutely 5 star!However, the technical quality of the paperback version was so deficient that it serioiusly distracted from this.There are two main issues:1. The text contains multiple hyperlinks, which presumably lead to some interesting additional material, or maybe to another part of the book. However, the hyperlinks are printed as the name of the link highlighted in underlined blue font (NOT showing the URL). So, it is impossible to use the links for anything, other than being annoyed that one is missing out on something. It would in fact be better if the links were not visible in the first place. Presumably the links can be accessed in the Kindle version (I don't know since I don't use Kindle). This problem could have been fixed by one hour of proof-reading before printing, preferably by simply writing the URL for each link.2. Many of the illustrations (most of the tables and some figures with a lot of text) were printed with such a small font that the text is almost completely unintelligible. By using my phone as a magnifier, I did succeed to read most of this very small print, but this is not an acceptable expectation; the illustrations should have been reproduced at a size where the text could just be read as it is.

This is a must read for any scientist involved with experimental discovery. The education of scientists must be changed not only in universities but at secondary schools as well. It is more than DoE and statistics, it is about statistical thinking in all enterprises. Variation exists everywhere, in processes, systems, procedures: all of which are designed by managers. We need to reeducate managers to change their behaviours. Until we do nothing will improve.

Wonderful book full of a mix of humour and statistical methodology from the personal perspective of the author. It opens up questions about the behaviours of scientists, debunking our vision of them as flawless characters and bringing their real life characters and idiosyncrasies to the fore.