Category Archives: Economics

DIVERSIFYING THE POOL OF EXPERIMENTAL SUBJECTS—THE MECHANICAL TURK.

DIVERSIFYING THE POOL OF EXPERIMENTAL SUBJECTS—THE MECHANICAL TURK. One problem with generalizing—or replicating—results from randomized experiments is that the sample may not be representative. In fact, most experiments are done with a pool of American college students. This article in … Continue reading

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A DINOSAUR THAT IS 65,000,038 YEARS OLD.

A DINOSAUR THAT IS 65,000,038 YEARS OLD. John Allen Paulos had a review in the Washington Post in 2010 of Charles Seife’s PROOFINESS (compare Colbert’s “truthiness”). He recommends it as a good book on the problems of interpreting and explaining … Continue reading

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WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO SAY THAT CERTAIN STATISTICAL STUDIES CAN BE REPLICATED ONLY 20% OF THE TIME?

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO SAY THAT CERTAIN STATISTICAL STUDIES CAN BE REPLICATED ONLY 20& OF THE TIME? I posted here about estimates by Dr. John Ioannidis that observational studies (multiple regression studies) in general can be replicated only 20% … Continue reading

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PLOWS AND GPS.

PLOWS AND GPS. When I was in graduate school fifty years ago, a friend I admired was both a graduate student and responsible for the family farm. He said that a third party could be hired to do most jobs … Continue reading

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5% TO 20%—THE BAD NEWS ABOUT “OBSERVATIONAL STUDIES”.

5% TO 20%—THE BAD NEWS ABOUT “OBSERVATIONAL STUDIES”. Gautam Naik had an article in the Wall Street Journal (May 3) headlined “Analytical Trend Troubles Scientists”. The troubling trend is that “observational studies often use different methodologies and arrive at different … Continue reading

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ARGUING THAT THE DARK AGES WEREN’T SO DARK.

ARGUING THAT THE DARK AGES WEREN’T SO DARK. Nick, knowing that I am interested in the transition between the Roman Empire and the Middle Ages, gave me last Christmas BARBARIANS TO ANGELS: The Dark Ages Reconsidered by Peter S. Wells. … Continue reading

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DAMIEN HIRST—AN ART MARKET BUBBLE?.

DAMIEN HIRST AND THE ART MARKET. Damien Hirst is the world’s richest artist. Hari Kunzru in the Guardian (March 16) had an article about the market for Hirst’s art, raising the possibility that current prices could represent a bubble. Kunzru’s … Continue reading

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THE FLY IN THE URINAL.

THE FLY IN THE URINAL. Ralph Gardner had an article in his always interesting column in the Wall Street Journal (April 23) about the flies on the urinal walls in the terminals at JFK Airport. He tells about how he … Continue reading

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HOW DO YOU PRINT IN 3 DIMENSIONS?

HOW DO YOU PRINT IN 3 DIMENSIONS? Mary Jane had the same reaction that I had to the idea of 3D printing: You’ve got to be kidding. Printing is two-dimensional and it seem implausible to create solid objects by using … Continue reading

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MAKING A GEARBOX WITH A 3D PRINTER.

MAKING A GEARBOX WITH A 3D PRINTER. The Economist (April 21) has an article on the revolutionary possibilities of 3D printing. To give an idea of the importance of 3D printing, it seems that it will considered for use in … Continue reading

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