Category: Academic

A case study in Non-replicability of a Medical paper [YouTube]

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A case study in non-replicability of a medical paper. I discuss it with Dr. Fouad Fayad from U.S.J. in Lebanon. Details are in Retraction Watch.

Apparently, the only reply to his case by the study’s lead author is of the fact-free data-free sort “he doesn’t like me” which does not appear to have a statistical explanation.

Note: Retraction Watch did a great job presenting facts, and the attempt to retaliate against Dr. Fayad. Note that the 4 expert reports were not attached. Also, note that the paper violated FDA rules (and those of the corresponding European agency).

[Medium] Foreword to Mark Spitznagel’s book Safe Haven

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Santa Marina — Karl Popper — Herman Hesse’s Sidharta — Mutua Muli — Porsche’s no substitute

Santa Marina

In my ancestral village in the Northern Levant, on top of a hill, stands a church dedicated to Santa Marina. Marina is a local saint, though, characteristically, some other traditions claim her –such as Bithynia or other Anatolian provinces of the Eastern Roman Empire.

Read the complete foreword on Medium.

Get the book on Amazon.

[Medium] Foreword for Cut the Knot: Probability Riddles by Alexander Bogomolny

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How do you learn a language? There are two routes; the first is to memorize imperfect verbs, grammatical rules, future vs. past tenses, recite boring context-free sentences, and pass an exam. The second approach consists in going to a bar, struggling a little bit and, out of the need to blend-in and integrate with a fun group of people, then suddenly find yourself able to communicate. In other words, by playing, by being alive as a human being. I personally have never seen anyone learn to speak a language properly by the first route. Also, I have never seen anyone fail to do so by the second one.

Read the complete foreword on Medium.

Get the book on Amazon.

Informational Rescaling of PCA Maps with Application to Genetics

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Nassim Nicholas Taleb∗, Pierre Zalloua, and Dan Platt
∗Corresponding author, [email protected] Dec 2019

We discuss the inadequacy of covariances/correlations and other measures in L-2 as relative distance metrics. We propose a computationally simple heuristic to transform a map based on standard principal component analysis (PCA) (when the variables are asymptotically Gaussian) into an entropy-based map where distances are based on mutual information.

PDF Download Link: academia.edu/41442347/Informational…

Nassim is back posting on Facebook

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Nassim has updated his followers on Facebook regarding his latest work debunking IQ science.

The fellow is overall fair but a bit generous to the NeoNazis with a sinister racial program.https://www.firstthings.com/web-exclusives/2019/08/talebs-call-to-duel

Posted by Nassim Nicholas Taleb on Wednesday, August 7, 2019

The piece on IQ. See the technical link for more.Basically the only reason it is used is research on genetic…

Posted by Nassim Nicholas Taleb on Wednesday, August 7, 2019

Technical Incerto, Vol 1: The Statistical Consequences of Fat Tails

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From Nassim Taleb’s Facebook Page:

My Technical Incerto Vol1: The Statistical Consequences of Fat Tails is almost done. This is the freely available draft for error correction.

https://www. academia. edu/ 37221402/ TECHNICAL…

Link to Paper: https://www. academia. edu/ 37221402/ TECHNICAL…
Link to Facebook Discussion: https://www. facebook. com/ nntaleb/ posts/ 10156061900203375