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Author Archives: F. E. Guerra-Pujol
Trust and collaboration
Why do most elite colleges and institutions of higher learning (including law schools) resort to proctors and complex rules to prevent cheating on exams? Why don’t we trust our students to do the right thing, like they do at Caltech? … Continue reading
A quick study in cultural contrasts: Berkeley and Stanford in the 1960s
prior probability recently stumbled upon this perceptive quote by Stewart Brand, editor of the “Whole Earth Catalog”, comparing and contrasting the “power to the people” culture at Berkeley in the late 1960s with the more entrepreneurial, start-up culture at Stanford … Continue reading
What is the optimal population frequency?
According to this reputable source, every day on Earth an estimated 371,124 people are born and 154,995 people die. The amazing mathematics website Wolfram|Alpha converts these raw numbers into a hertz frequency as follows: As Jason Kottke writes in his excellent blog kottke.org, one of … Continue reading
The physics of billiards
Jim Belk, a mathematician at Bard College, has figured out what a perfectly centered billiards break looks like. It looks like this: Does this beautiful model of billiards breaks have any wider applications outside of pool tables? Tell me in the … Continue reading
What is your favorite coffee shop in Manhattan?
Nirmal Banerjee, who recently posted this colorful map at Butterfruit Labs Development (look it up!), identifies the best local coffee shops and cafes in Manhattan organized by subway stop. Click on the map for a larger version. Hat tip: Max Ehrenfreund.
Do people apologize too much?
The New York Times’ Andrew Ross Sorkin writes in yesterday’s Dealbook column: The art of the apology has become a carefully choreographed dance: Say you are sorry, show vulnerability, tell everyone you are “taking responsibility” and then end with, “I hope … Continue reading
How five students changed the world …
On this day some ten years ago, five undergraduates–Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin Moskovitz, Chris Hughes, and Mark Zuckerberg–launched “thefacebook” from their Harvard College dorm room. Although Facebook is now becoming the AOL of social media, prior probability salutes the original bold founders of Facebook. They … Continue reading
My favorite 2014 Super Bowl ad
By the way, was it just me, or were the 2014 Super Bowl ads way more lame and unoriginal (on average) this year? Nevertheless, what I liked the most about this particular ad was its simplicity and provocative multilingualism … … Continue reading
Are you a square or a sharp?
Check out this report in the Sunday Times about sports gambling. Here is one tantalizing excerpt: In the world of sports gambling, there are two types of people: squares and sharps. Squares make bets based on hunches, hometown favoritism, emotion. Nearly … Continue reading
TSA takings
Jason Edward Harrington, a former TSA agent in Chicago, has written a scathing critique of the TSA, perhaps the most despised and bloated government bureaucracy since the Soviet era. Here is an excerpt: Once, in 2008, I had to confiscate a bottle … Continue reading
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