Grey Enlightenment

The news cycle has been so erratic since Trump’s inauguration. I have tended to avoid topical matters, as I don’t want to spend hours writing posts about tariffs or about the Middle East or China, only for my efforts to be wasted when a new development breaks. But with the stock market crashing due to… Continue reading Why I am not worried about the tariffs

It looks like I was right again in predicting Elon would recover his losses from his Twitter/X purchase. On November 5th, after Trump had won, I wrote: Musk’s AI venture, xAI, was recently valued at $40 billion–that alone pays for Twitter. Tesla’s stock surge, up 11%, on Trump’s win also made Elon that much richer.… Continue reading Twitter/X’s ingenious pivot and rebranding as an AI company

Your IQ isn’t 160. No one’s is: Stratospheric IQs are like leprechauns, unicorns, or mermaids, writing: So if someone regularly talks about IQs significantly above 140 like these were actual measurable and reliable numbers that have a real-world effect, know that they are talking about a fantasy. And if they make claims that various historical… Continue reading People with >160 IQs must exist

A lot people are amazed or impressed by Richard Hanania’s apparent overnight success, and with minimal promotion by the media. Richard Hanania in specific has a rare and idiosyncratic set of views, as do many public intellectuals. People who trust Richard Hanania more than Generic Dem are quite common and are overwhelmingly more likely to… Continue reading Explaining Richard Hanania’s sudden success

I define bullshit as that which does not replicate when put to the ultimate test, that being reality or practice. This can be advice, a scientific claim, whatever…This is especially prevalent in the wellness industry, be it dieting advice or fitness advice. Someone will make a claim that a certain diet or macro is optimal… Continue reading On Bullshit and Dieting Advice

I saw this going viral: Harvard says tuition will be free for families making $200K or less. According to Harvard’s website, the average annual tuition for an undergraduate student is $56,550. But with the addition of housing, food, health services and other student services, the annual cost of attending Harvard is $82,866, according to the… Continue reading Harvard offers free tuition for families making $200K or less: My thoughts

Over the past few months, the legendary investor Warren Buffett has been showered with adulation by the media for raising cash in 2024, having seemingly anticipated the downturn of 2025. Note: We’re talking Buffett’s company Berkshire Hathaway, not Buffett himself, although these are often used interchangeably. From Business Insider, The internet is in awe of… Continue reading Debunking the Media Hype over Warren Buffett’s Cash Pile and Market Timing

Similar to physique or strength inflation, where anything less than shredded abs or 600lbs deadlifts are seen are ‘mid’ or average, a similar trend, I think, is observed with intellect, such as claims of Elon Musk being dull, unread, or not sounding that smart. Certain pundits have unrealistic or inflated expectations of what is expected… Continue reading Intellectual Inflation

I saw this going viral, from Less Wrong: Elon Musk May Be Transitioning to Bipolar Type I: In 2023, Gwern published an excellent analysis suggesting Elon Musk exhibits behavioral patterns consistent with bipolar II disorder. The evidence was compelling: cycles of intense productivity followed by periods of withdrawal, risk-taking behavior (like crashing an uninsured McLaren),… Continue reading Stop trying to diagnose Elon Musk over the internet

From Richard Hanania, Liberals Only Censor. Musk Seeks to Lobotomize. In theory or in an ideal world, everyone would aim for the truth or only defer to ‘trustworthy sources’ (whatever those are). But such a world has probably never existed even before the advent of social media, and certainty doesn’t in modern America. The author’s… Continue reading Elon Musk, and the decline of the credibility of experts and expertise