Comments for The Modest Proposal Blog http://mpjournal.com/blog The blog companion to The Modest Proposal Thu, 11 Dec 2008 03:34:35 -0700 hourly 1 Comment on A Holiday Experiment by Tristan http://mpjournal.com/blog/2008/12/a-holiday-experiment/comment-page-1/#comment-1519 Tristan Thu, 11 Dec 2008 03:34:35 +0000 http://mpjournal.com/blog/?p=103#comment-1519 There are street vendors in Slovakia that sell roasted chestnuts in winter. I loved them. Maybe they're just not bred/cultivated correctly over here? There are street vendors in Slovakia that sell roasted chestnuts in winter. I loved them. Maybe they’re just not bred/cultivated correctly over here?

]]> Comment on Bridges to Somewhere by James http://mpjournal.com/blog/2008/12/bridges-to-somewhere/comment-page-1/#comment-1515 James Tue, 09 Dec 2008 01:03:15 +0000 http://mpjournal.com/blog/?p=102#comment-1515 The term for someone employed in a civil engineering/infrastructure project is a "Navvy." The term for someone employed in a civil engineering/infrastructure project is a “Navvy.”

]]> Comment on The Rise of the T-Shirt Economy by Staff http://mpjournal.com/blog/2008/11/the-rise-of-the-t-shirt-economy/comment-page-1/#comment-1477 Staff Tue, 25 Nov 2008 02:12:46 +0000 http://mpjournal.com/blog/?p=98#comment-1477 If nothing else, at least those t-shirts made for your website were screen printed by a locally run shop. If nothing else, at least those t-shirts made for your website were screen printed by a locally run shop.

]]> Comment on The Depressing Roads of Gene Land by Chris http://mpjournal.com/blog/2008/11/the-depressing-roads-of-gene-land/comment-page-1/#comment-1474 Chris Mon, 24 Nov 2008 19:22:42 +0000 http://mpjournal.com/blog/?p=95#comment-1474 Yep, Fisher, Wright, and Haldane are the big three. The model I used to make that figure was developed by one, or possibly all three, of them. That is an ironic statement though since mathematics is a really big part of population genetics, as well as many other fields of biology. Yep, Fisher, Wright, and Haldane are the big three. The model I used to make that figure was developed by one, or possibly all three, of them. That is an ironic statement though since mathematics is a really big part of population genetics, as well as many other fields of biology.

]]> Comment on The Depressing Roads of Gene Land by James http://mpjournal.com/blog/2008/11/the-depressing-roads-of-gene-land/comment-page-1/#comment-1362 James Wed, 19 Nov 2008 21:45:22 +0000 http://mpjournal.com/blog/?p=95#comment-1362 Just a few hours ago I was reading Michio Kaku's "Physics of the Impossible." In the epilogue he tells the story of August Comte, the French philosopher who wrote in 1825 that it was impossbile for science to determine what the stars were made of. Of course, a few years later spectroscopy took off, and he was proven spectacularly wrong. Comte also claimed that mathematics could never be used to explain chemistry or biology - hilarious. I'm not in the field, of course, but from my understanding practically the entire Modern Synthesis is based around Fisher, Wright, and Haldane's work in applying mathematics to population genetics. Just a few hours ago I was reading Michio Kaku’s “Physics of the Impossible.” In the epilogue he tells the story of August Comte, the French philosopher who wrote in 1825 that it was impossbile for science to determine what the stars were made of. Of course, a few years later spectroscopy took off, and he was proven spectacularly wrong. Comte also claimed that mathematics could never be used to explain chemistry or biology – hilarious. I’m not in the field, of course, but from my understanding practically the entire Modern Synthesis is based around Fisher, Wright, and Haldane’s work in applying mathematics to population genetics.

]]> Comment on Flatland by Kevin http://mpjournal.com/blog/2008/11/flatland/comment-page-1/#comment-1288 Kevin Wed, 12 Nov 2008 05:04:55 +0000 http://mpjournal.com/blog/?p=91#comment-1288 I do like the contradictions in that book. It works on the level of social moral--as do CANDIDE, ALICE IN WONDERLAND, and GULLIVER'S TRAVELS--for their respective places and times, but manages to put forth a wholly unique way of looking at the world. No surprise that Mr. Duke would recommend it. It is the perfect hybrid for the math-and-humanities-minded. I do like the contradictions in that book. It works on the level of social moral–as do CANDIDE, ALICE IN WONDERLAND, and GULLIVER’S TRAVELS–for their respective places and times, but manages to put forth a wholly unique way of looking at the world.

No surprise that Mr. Duke would recommend it. It is the perfect hybrid for the math-and-humanities-minded.

]]> Comment on In Which the Author Post Links and Pretends it is Writing… by Staff http://mpjournal.com/blog/2008/10/in-which-the-author-post-links-and-pretends-it-is-writing/comment-page-1/#comment-1263 Staff Sun, 19 Oct 2008 15:56:46 +0000 http://mpjournal.com/blog/?p=77#comment-1263 I mentioned the UK surveillance situation a few months ago: http://mpjournal.com/blog/2008/05/control-societies-from-fiction-to-fact/ But now it appears to be worse. The most noticeable thing was the almost total scope of visual surveillance in the way of mounted cameras, designed to increase public safety. In some cases, they did make certain sections of London seem more safe and inviting to the tourist in me. At other times, I had the creepy feeling that I was being spied on as I wandered around, in my most vulnerable moments. It is funny, though: many people have written about the split dichotomy between defensive/police forces and their access to high technology and terrorist organizations and their lack of access. Here, the UK tries to drive another wedge into, potentially denying even cell phone access to the hardened criminal! The solution seems clear. Rather than buy their own phones, thugs and murderers will simply have to steal one--Grand Theft Auto style--before communicating their crimes. I mentioned the UK surveillance situation a few months ago:

http://mpjournal.com/blog/2008/05/control-societies-from-fiction-to-fact/

But now it appears to be worse. The most noticeable thing was the almost total scope of visual surveillance in the way of mounted cameras, designed to increase public safety. In some cases, they did make certain sections of London seem more safe and inviting to the tourist in me. At other times, I had the creepy feeling that I was being spied on as I wandered around, in my most vulnerable moments.

It is funny, though: many people have written about the split dichotomy between defensive/police forces and their access to high technology and terrorist organizations and their lack of access. Here, the UK tries to drive another wedge into, potentially denying even cell phone access to the hardened criminal! The solution seems clear. Rather than buy their own phones, thugs and murderers will simply have to steal one–Grand Theft Auto style–before communicating their crimes.

]]> Comment on Some initial impressions on Descent of Man by Sexual and Social Selection http://mpjournal.com/blog/2008/05/some-initial-impressions-on-descent-of-man/comment-page-1/#comment-1262 Sexual and Social Selection Sat, 18 Oct 2008 03:05:20 +0000 http://mpjournal.com/blog/?p=42#comment-1262 [...] sexual selection.  A litte background.  Sexual selection was originally proposed by Darwin (in this book, I believe) to explain exxagerated ornaments (e.g. the Peacock’s tail) that seemed inconsistent with his [...] [...] sexual selection.  A litte background.  Sexual selection was originally proposed by Darwin (in this book, I believe) to explain exxagerated ornaments (e.g. the Peacock’s tail) that seemed inconsistent with his [...]

]]> Comment on Folk Wisdom, plus an aside about beer by Frank DiTraglia http://mpjournal.com/blog/2008/10/folk-wisdom-plus-an-aside-about-beer/comment-page-1/#comment-1233 Frank DiTraglia Mon, 06 Oct 2008 03:50:09 +0000 http://mpjournal.com/blog/?p=65#comment-1233 In a (mild) defense of folk wisdom, here's another logical fallacy: "It has always been the case that X holds, therefore it will continue to be the case that X holds." Post hoc ergo propter hoc, though itself a fallacy, has lead to an awful lot of important scientific discoveries, I'll wager. Bad reasoning is easy to spot, but tricky to define. In a (mild) defense of folk wisdom, here’s another logical fallacy: “It has always been the case that X holds, therefore it will continue to be the case that X holds.”

Post hoc ergo propter hoc, though itself a fallacy, has lead to an awful lot of important scientific discoveries, I’ll wager. Bad reasoning is easy to spot, but tricky to define.

]]> Comment on Folk Wisdom, plus an aside about beer by James http://mpjournal.com/blog/2008/10/folk-wisdom-plus-an-aside-about-beer/comment-page-1/#comment-1224 James Sun, 05 Oct 2008 04:54:30 +0000 http://mpjournal.com/blog/?p=65#comment-1224 This is a few decades old, and a bit lengthy, but here's <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eh0eM4tAISQ" rel="nofollow">Carl Sagan</a> talking about the consequences of irrationality and anti-scientific thinking. This is a few decades old, and a bit lengthy, but here’s Carl Sagan talking about the consequences of irrationality and anti-scientific thinking.

]]>