A space for mostly short form stuff and responses to things I see elsewhere.
What’s the Point If We Can’t Have Fun?
Physicists are more playful and less hidebound creatures than, say, biologists—partly, no doubt, because they rarely have to contend with religious fundamentalists challenging the laws of physics. They are the poets of the scientific world.
Evolutionary psychologists claim they can explain—as the title of one recent book has it—“why sex is fun.” What they can’t explain is why fun is fun. This could.
$241,633 was lost to fraud this year — that’s about what we expect | GiveDirectly
Does the value recovered outweigh the cost of investigating these cases? From a simple dollar-for-dollar amount, certainly not. However, the existence of a rigorous investigations team helps deter staff and partner fraud.
It’s Research, But Still Very Wrong – Interdependent Thoughts
I wasn't affected by the somewhat scuzzy email sent out by chumps at Princeton to "research" internet privacy regulations, but I was prompted by Ton's investigation to take a look at Tranco. And blow me if I'm not also in there. One of the compensations of being an old blogger.
How The Politics Of White Liberals And White Conservatives Are Shaped By Whiteness | FiveThirtyEight
Among the many fascinating charts that 538 selected from this year, this is the one I found most informative.
ongoing by Tim Bray · Blah, Blah, Blah, Boom
I'm still, at heart, both a coward and a pessimist.