Round 9 of the 2014 FIDE World Chess Championship between Magnus Carlsen and Viswanathan Anand ended in a draw after just 20 moves. Note Anand’s 12th move in this game. Addendum (Nov. 22): Game 10 also ended in another draw.
Jane Hu explains in this excellent essay why so-called “scientific jury selection” is not really scientific. But her essay misses the most compelling reason why trial consultants are basically high-priced charlatans: there is no way testing or falsifying their predictions! Karl Popper, anyone?
A public interest group based in Las Vegas — the Coalition for the Protection of Marriage — recently filed a petition alleging the non-random assignment of judges in a subset of same-sex marriage cases decided by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco. (In federal cases, appeals on the merits are decided by three-judge panels and judges are supposed to be assigned randomly to these panels.) When we first heard of these allegations, we were intrigued by the possibility of “panel packing” or non-randomness in the assignment of judges, since we suspect that the assignment of judges to high-profile cases is anything but random. But, a few days ago, when we finally read the statistical study on which these allegations are based, we detected a possible reference class problem. (For the record, the report was prepared by Dr James H. Matis, a retired statistics professor.)
Check out this fun Freakonomics podcast featuring economists Steve Horwitz and Glen Whitman as well as yours truly, and while you’re at it, why not check out the Economics of the Undead blog too?
This epic game between Magnus Carlsen and Viswanathan Anand lasted 122 moves!
How great is Google Scholar? Special thanks to Anurag Acharya for his pivotal role in creating the specialized Google Scholar search engine. His creation is ten years old today. (By the way, Gmail also turned ten years old in April of this year.) Also, thanks for liberating caselaw from the tyranny of Lexis and Westlaw.
Hat tip to marianovsky for the sharing this old map with us.
Ana Swanson asks, “Do you know what continent or ocean is directly under your feet?” Thanks to her for sharing this map of the antipodes of the Earth.
A bailment is a legal relationship that arises when a person (the bailor) gives personal property to someone else (the bailee) for safekeeping. So, can a bailee use a disclaimer to eliminate or limit his or her legal responsibility to the bailor for theft or other form of property damage to the bailor’s property? Attorney Van O’Steen explains here why parking lot disclaimers are not always effective.
Welcome to the online home of the IASS
Hopefully It’s Interesting.
In Conversation with Legal and Moral Philosophers
PhD, Jagiellonian University
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BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH
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hoping we know we're living the dream
Lover of math. Bad at drawing.
We hike, bike, and discover Central Florida and beyond
Making it big in business after age 40
Reasoning about reasoning, mathematically.
I don't mean to sound critical, but I am; so that's how it comes across
remember the good old days...
"Let me live, love and say it well in good sentences." - Sylvia Plath
a personal view of the theory of computation
Logic at Columbia University
Just like the Thesis Whisperer - but with more money
the sky is no longer the limit
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