Category Archives: Economics

THE CHINESE EYEGLASS EXPERIMENT.

Posted on May 29, 2015 by Philip

THE CHINESE EYEGLASS EXPERIMENT. This paper, “The Unprincipled Randomization Principle in Economics and Medicine” by Stephen T. Ziliak and Edward R. Teather-Posadas describes an experiment by development economists in 2012. The experiment attempted to determine whether wearing corrective eyeglasses might … Continue reading →

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HOW A KIDNEY TRANSPLANT SWAP WORKS.

Posted on May 7, 2015 by Philip

HOW A KIDNEY TRANSPLANT SWAP WORKS. Maria Wallon described the magnitude of the calculations underlying a kidney transplant chain. For a 72 person exchange (and she describes in her article a 70 person exchange that is in process}, there would … Continue reading →

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“THE GREAT AMERICAN KIDNEY SWAP”.

Posted on May 6, 2015 by Philip

“THE GREAT AMERICAN KIDNEY SWAP”. I posted here in 2012 about a use of the economic matching models for which that year’s Nobel Prize in Economics was awarded to Professors Alvin Roth and Lloyd Shapley. That use is in constructing … Continue reading →

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SHOULD ALL THE PRISONERS WHOSE TRIALS WERE AFFECTED BY FORENSIC ERRORS GO FREE?

Posted on May 4, 2015 by Philip

SHOULD ALL THE PRISONERS WHOSE TRIALS WERE AFFECTED BY FORENSIC ERRORS GO FREE? What should be done about the errors made by the FBI’s forensic experts? Looking at the convictions on a case by case basis would require a lot … Continue reading →

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THE NATURE OF THE FBI’S STATISTICAL ERRORS.

Posted on May 2, 2015 by Philip

THE NATURE OF THE FBI’S STATISTICAL ERRORS. What kind of statistical errors were made by the FBI forensic experts in testifying about human hairs? Hsu’s article tells how the witnesses exaggerated what their statistical evidence demonstrated. Hsu says: “FBI experts … Continue reading →

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EVIDENCE THAT SOME VIKING TRADERS MAY HAVE ARRIVED IN IRELAND BEFORE THE RAIDERS.

Posted on April 18, 2015 by Philip

EVIDENCE THAT SOME VIKING TRADERS MAY HAVE ARRIVED IN IRELAND BEFORE THE RAIDERS. I have made a number of posts about whether the Vikings were raiders or traders. This article by Roger Atwood in Archaeology (March 10, 2015) describes evidence … Continue reading →

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GREAT ARCHITECTURE AND BUDGETS REVISITED.

Posted on April 10, 2015 by Philip

GREAT ARCHITECTURE AND BUDGETS REVISITED. Rebecca Koffman quotes the defense Michael Graves gave to complaints that the ceilings in the Portland Building are too low: “The floor to ceiling height is low because of the budget, not the architect.” She … Continue reading →

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A STAR ARCHITECT DEFENDS HIS WORK.

Posted on April 9, 2015 by Philip

A STAR ARCHITECT DEFENDS HIS WORK. The article by Rebecca Koffman describes a public defense by Michael Graves of his building in October, 2014. Graves died recently, only six months after that defense, which adds poignancy to the defense. The … Continue reading →

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HUNDREDS OF FAKE SCIENTIFIC PAPERS IN BOGUS JOURNALS.

Posted on April 6, 2015 by Philip

HUNDREDS OF FAKE SCIENTIFIC PAPERS IN BOGUS JOURNALS. I have posted, for example here, about ways that psychologists can (and some do) rig the results of their experiments to make them publishable. I have also posted on the ways that … Continue reading →

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A CONTENTION THAT ENGLAND NEEDS MORE FOREST MANAGEMENT BY POLLARDING AND COPPICING.

Posted on March 30, 2015 by Philip

A CONTENTION THAT ENGLAND NEEDS MORE FOREST MANAGEMENT BY POLLARDING AND COPPICING. Coppicing and pollarding seem like humble activities. It turns out they are central to the history of English forests. I looked up coppicing and pollarding because the Economist … Continue reading →

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