Category: Uncategorized

Terry Pratchett, IQ, Practice, and Mastery

Prolific fantasy author Terry Pratchett, who recently died of early-onset Alzheimer’s, inspired many wannabe fiction authors. But unless you’re a genius (as measured by raw intellect, not the vague label of ‘genius’ ascribed to people who demonstrate ‘skill’ at some subjective/useless activity like finger painting), better stick to writing non-fiction, or anything that isn’t too… Continue reading Terry Pratchett, IQ, Practice, and Mastery

Using Cognitive Screening to Replace Costly Diplomas

Someone writes: The Ivy League aristocracy will continue to perpetuate itself till the end of time unless hiring managers in high-paying industries stop recruiting solely from the “top schools.” And until that happens, online education will never get the respect that it (genuinely) deserves, nor will offline tier-2 or tier-3 schools – or their graduates.… Continue reading Using Cognitive Screening to Replace Costly Diplomas

Holding the Left Accountable for Being Wrong All the Time

Agree: Telling me we're in a bubble is an unfalsifiable statement. — Benedict Evans (@BenedictEvans) March 5, 2015 And also agree: 'A billion dollar company must be over-valued' is the new 'a $100 share price means the company's worth more than one priced at $10'. Um, no — Benedict Evans (@BenedictEvans) March 5, 2015 The… Continue reading Holding the Left Accountable for Being Wrong All the Time

IQ: More than Just a Number

This post isn’t topical, but it’s been sitting in my draft folder for awhile, so I may well publish it. It isn’t a stretch to saw we’re in a slow news cycle, with the usual Hilary and Ferguson headlines. The Obamacare subsidy Supreme Court decision won’t be announced until June (!), despite the justices having… Continue reading IQ: More than Just a Number

Salvation: Paleo/Christian vs. HBD/Rationalist

One night, it occurred to me the totality of Praxeology could be reduced to a simple quadrant. The quadrant is more encompassing than the left/right political divide, since members of all political parties will fall somewhere in the quadrant. Aaron Clarey of Captain Capitalism linked to Bernard Chapin‘s Youtube Channel in which Chapan says he… Continue reading Salvation: Paleo/Christian vs. HBD/Rationalist

The Greatest Bull Market Ever*

* Technically, this isn’t the greatest bull market ever (the one following the Great Depression was bigger), but we’ll just assume this one will continue long enough that inevitably it will claim the title, maybe within a few years or so when the S&P 500 crosses 2500. From Investors are enjoying one of the longest… Continue reading The Greatest Bull Market Ever*

Is STEM the New Celebrity Status?

After almost half a century of being on the fringes of society, ignored or relegated to special gifted classes, economic and social forces have converged, culminating in the post-2008 era where nerds not only run the world, but are celebrated. This is the New Great Awakening (but with intellectualism and wealth creation sweeping the world,… Continue reading Is STEM the New Celebrity Status?

Et tu, Summers?

From Establishment Populism Rising The lion’s share of the income of the top 1 percent is concentrated in the top 0.1 percent and 0.01 percent. The average income of the top 1 percent in 2013, according to data provided by Emmanuel Saez, a Berkeley economist, was $1.2 million, for the top 0.1 percent, $5.3 million,… Continue reading Et tu, Summers?