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Category Archives: Uncategorized
Why does “originalism” refuse to die?
According to Wikipedia, “originalism” is a theory of interpretation that tries to discover the original meaning or original intent of the Constitution. But the main problem with this theory is that the framers of the Constitution themselves did not agree on … Continue reading
The New Yorker asks, “How evil should a video game allow you to be?”
Yesterday, the online version of The New Yorker published a thought-provoking essay by Simon Parker titled “How evil should a video game allow you to be?” Here are two excerpts: A 2011 Supreme Court ruling recognized that video games, like other forms of … Continue reading
A mathematician looks at voting
What is the best way of aggregating the preferences of voters in an election? What weight should be assigned to a voter’s second- or third-choice? Check out Dan Saari’s lecture on voting rules to find out.
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged Aggregation of Preferences, Don Saari, Elections, voting rules
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Farah Goes Bang
This fascinating and funny film will be screened at the SunTrust Auditorium in Rollins College at 8:00 PM tonight (9/19). Go watch it!
Eppur si muove …
According to legend, these were the words quietly spoken by Galileo in 1633 immediately after being forced by Church inquisitors to recant his heliocentric view that the Earth revolves around the sun. But how do we know that Galileo’s view was correct … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged Foucault's Pendulum, Galileo, Google Doodle, Leon Foucault
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Why isn’t today a holiday?
Today is “Constitution Day” in the United States. On this day in 1787, most (but not all) of the delegates attending the secret Philadelphia Convention signed the first draft of the US Constitution, which was later submitted to local State … Continue reading
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Tagged "Maxim Constitutionalism", Alexander Tsesis, Constitution Day, Maxims
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Should internet sales be taxed?
Should access to the internet also be taxed (see map below)? With respect to the sale of goods online, the general rule under current law is that the States can only collect sales taxes from retailers that have a physical presence … Continue reading
Who will win the Alvarez-Mayweather prize fight?
Both boxers are undefeated, but Floyd “Money” Mayweather is 36 years old, while Saul “Canelo” Alvarez is only 23. bleacherreport.com
Is NASA’s asteroid-capture mission legal?
NASA recently announced its plan to find and capture a small asteroid and place it in a stable orbit near the moon. (If you have a few minutes to spare, check out this cool animation of the proposed mission here.) But would an asteroid-capture mission … Continue reading
Is “American exceptionalism” dangerous?
In an op-ed piece in yesterday’s New York Times, Vladimir Putin, the President of the Russian Federation, writes thus about the dangers of American exceptionalism (the notion that somehow the US is unique or special): My working and personal relationship with President … Continue reading
