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Author Archives: F. E. Guerra-Pujol
The Wikipedia Paradox
According to Wikipedia (citations omitted): “Ignore All Rules” is a “favorite” rule of the English-language open content encyclopedia, Wikipedia. Its formulation is generally (emphasis in original), “If a rule prevents you from improving or maintaining Wikipedia, ignore it.” Wikipedia has … Continue reading
Is Banksy a woman?
We have always assumed that Banksy, our favorite mystery graffiti artist, is a man. But what if she is a woman? Kriston Capps makes a persuasive case in this beautiful essay for why Banksy is probably a woman. Hat tip to kottke … Continue reading
WWII films by country
Why are war movies so popular in the United States? What do these data say about North American culture? Don’t we need to know the total number of post-WWII films produced by each country on this particular list to answer these … Continue reading
Ideological Turing Tests
Now that the midterm elections in the U.S. — as well as the presidential contest in Brasil — are finally over, can you pass an Ideological Turing Test? For example, let’s say you support gay marriage or oppose legalizing the sale of marijuana. Could you … Continue reading
Shaming or nudging?
Hat tip to Michelle N. Meyer at The Faculty Lounge. More here.
Sputnik 2
Thanks to Radiosucks, who recently reminded us of the role of Laika the dog on 3 November 1957, the day Sputnik 2, the second spacecraft ever to enter Earth orbit, was launched: “On board was Laika, a stray dog from the streets of Moscow. Laika’s mission was … Continue reading
The history of chess openings
Are you ready for the 2014 World Chess Championship between Magnus Carlsen and Viswanathan Anand? In preparation for the upcoming WCC, we are linking to this beautiful diagram describing the evolution of chess openings over time. It was prepared by Randal S. Olson. See also Raymond … Continue reading
“Grow the brain before the beard”
The Tunisian protestor in this picture is holding a sign that reads “Grow the beard before the brain.” This is the best critique of ethical fundamentalism that we have seen in a long time. Hat tip to Strum-Me for the pointer.
Posted in Bayesian Reasoning, Ethics, Philosophy
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Law of necessity (volcanic lava edition)
The magnificent Tyler Cowen — over at Marginal Revolution — poses the following question: Is it legal to build a diversion barrier against Hawaiian lava flow? The ancient doctrine Necessitas non habet legem provides the most likely answer. County of Hawaii media image of … Continue reading
Why is Microsoft Outlook still so crappy?
Let us count the ways … It is slow and laborious to open. Outlook Calendar is fundamentally flawed. Attaching a document requires a cumbersome five(!)-step procedure. It doesn’t let you cut-and-paste content from a Word file directly into the message of … Continue reading
prior probability 