[The Guardian] The UK’s coronavirus policy may sound scientific. It isn’t

Nassim Nicholas Taleb and Yaneer Bar-Yam

When, along with applied systems scientist Dr Joe Norman, we first reacted to coronavirus on 25 January with the publication of an academic note urging caution, the virus had reportedly infected fewer than 2,000 people worldwide and fewer than 60 people were dead. That number need not have been so high.

Link: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/mar/25/…cummings

[Medium] Corporate Socialism: The Government is Bailing Out Investors & Managers Not You

The U.S. government is enacting measures to save the airlines, Boeing, and similarly affected corporations. While we clearly insist that these companies must be saved, there may be ethical, economic, and structural problems associated with the details of the execution. As a matter of fact, if you study the history of bailouts, there will be.

Link: https://medium.com/incerto/corporate-socialism-the…3b31a67bff4a

Medium: IQ is largely a pseudoscientific swindle

Background : “IQ” is a stale test meant to measure mental capacity but in fact mostly measures extreme unintelligence (learning difficulties) as well as, to a lesser extent, a form of intelligence, stripped of 2nd order effects. It is via negativa not via positiva. It is meant to select exam-takers, paper shufflers, obedient IYIs (intellectuals yet idiots), ill adapted for “real life”. 

Link: https://medium.com/incerto/iq-is-largely-a-pseudoscientific-swindle

Bloomberg: Nassim Says World Is More Fragile Today Than in 2007

Nassim Nicholas Taleb, scientific advisor at Universa Investments, discusses the factors causing global fragility, hidden liabilities in global markets, and what he sees as safe trades in the current market. He speaks with Bloomberg’s Erik Schatzker on “Bloomberg Markets.” (Source: Bloomberg)

Link: https://www. bloomberg .com/ news/ videos/ 2018-10-31/ taleb-says-world-is…

Nassim Taleb speaking at RPI Peace and Prosperity 2018: Media & War

From the website:

The third annual Ron Paul Institute Washington, DC, Peace and Prosperity Conference includes a special focus on the symbiosis between the mainstream media and the warfare state. How does the mainstream media promote war and, conversely, how does the war machine promote the mainstream media? How do the militarist interventionists collude with the mainstream media to prevent alternative media from having a voice? Remember “PropOrNot”? The Atlancic Council? “Hamilton 68”? How does the US government misuse its citizens’ money to propgandize them into supporting endless, winless, pointless wars? To propagandize them into viewing any alternative media questioning the permanent warfare state as “unpatriotic” or even “agents of a foreign power”?

DATE AND TIME
Sat, August 18, 2018
9:30 AM – 3:30 PM EDT

LOCATION
Washington Dulles Airport Marriott
45020 Aviation Drive
Dulles, VA 20166
United States

For tickets go to https://www.eventbrite.com/e/rpi…

Nassim Taleb speaking at the 9th International Conference on Complex Systems (ICCS 2018)

From the website: The International Conference on Complex Systems is a unique interdisciplinary forum that unifies and bridges the traditional domains of science and a multitude of real world systems. Participants will contribute and be exposed to mind expanding concepts and methods from across the diverse field of complex systems science.

Conference: July 22-27, 2018
Cambridge, MA, USA

…Link to more details including registration here.

Medium: Pedophrasty, Bigoteering, and Other Modern Scams

painting

Pedophrasty

Definition: Argument involving children to prop up a rationalization and make the opponent look like an asshole, as people are defenseless and suspend all skepticism in front of suffering children: nobody has the heart to question the authenticity or source of the reporting. Often done with the aid of pictures.

Can also describe the exploitation of babies by professional beggars who rent them from their parents and use them as potent appendage in their trade(remember that children tend to grow and need to be replaced).

Link: https:// medium. com/ incerto/ pedophrasty- bigoteering- and-other- modern- scams- c84bd70a29e8

Medium: What do I mean by Skin in the Game? My Own Version

photo of elephants

What is Skin in the Game? The phrase is often mistaken for one-sided incentives: the promise of a bonus will make someone work harder for you. For the central attribute is symmetry: the balancing of incentives and disincentives, people should also penalized if something for which they are responsible goes wrong and hurts others: he or she who wants a share of the benefits needs to also share some of the risks.

Link: https://medium.com/incerto/what-do-i-mean-by-skin-in-the-game-my-own-version-cc858dc73260