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Category Archives: Uncategorized
Is an illegal tackle a “tort”?
The latest round of rule changes in the National Football League (NFL) has received a lot of commentary on TV and in the blogosphere lately, especially the new rule that now makes it illegal for ball-carriers and tacklers to lead with the … Continue reading
Is Keith Olbermann’s the “worst sports person in the world”?
The debut of “Olbermann”, Keith Olbermann’s new show on ESPN2, occurred last night. Among other things, Mr Olbermann criticized Manish Mehta, a sports reporter for the New York Daily News, for the way he conducted himself at a post-game press conference … Continue reading
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Tagged Keith Olbermann, Manish Mehta, Mark Sanchez, NY Jets, Rex Ryan, The Worst Person in the Sports World
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“Give me liberty or give me … social science?”
Richard Thaler argues in his Economic View column in the Sunday Times that social scientists should play a greater role in shaping public policy, but prior probability wonders whether the opposite is true. After all, most published social “science” findings are false, and moreover, so-called social “scientists” … Continue reading
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Tagged Liberty, Nudge, Public Policy, Richard Thaler, Social Science
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Why we should study the Declaration of Independence in law school
I am getting ready to teach another semester of that most political of legal subjects: constitutional law (“conlaw”). When I teach conlaw, I like to begin with the Declaration of Independence of 4 July 1776, one of this country’s most … Continue reading
What critics of Nate Silver get wrong
Gary Marcus and Ernest Davis, professors at NYU, wrote up this critique of Nate Silver’s best-selling book The Signal and the Noise for The New Yorker magazine several months ago. prior probability finally got around to reading their critique and is … Continue reading
Is economics a science?
Economists Noah Smith (“A few words about math”) and Bryan Caplan (“Economath fails the cost benefit test”) have recently presented powerful and persuasive critiques of the over-use of mathematics in economics, but prior probability thinks they both miss the larger question, … Continue reading
Do poor people prefer cash or in-kind benefits?
What’s the best way to help the poor in developing countries? How about giving them $1000 USD in cash, with no strings attached? If this idea sounds crazy to you, then check out this report in the Sunday Times describing … Continue reading
Pfc. Bradley Manning … political prisoner?
Is Private Bradley Manning, who was just sentenced to 35 years in prison for disclosing military secrets, now the US’s youngest political prisoner? prior probability thinks so. Manning’s pre-trial detention was inhumane, and he was tried and convicted by a military … Continue reading
Ballet bribery
One of prior probability‘s favorite social science papers is The Standing Ovation Problem by John Miller and Scott Page. (Here is a good summary of Miller & Page’s model.) So what happens when some members of an audience are paid … Continue reading
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Tagged Ballet, Bribes, Claqueurs, Deception, Standing Ovation Model
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Al Jazeera America bets on an American audience for serious journalism
Originally posted on digiphile:
I’m watching the launch of Al Jazeera America here in DC, on Channel 107*. (No HD in this media market, from what I can tell.) It’s the biggest launch in broadcast media since Fox News, in…
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