Main Area and Open Discussion > Living Room

Interesting Academic Blog: Overcoming Bias

<< < (2/2)

IainB:
And he does seem to be willfully blind to the level of bias displayed in some of his own core set of 'givens' doesn't he? ...
-40hz (June 15, 2014, 11:39 AM)
--- End quote ---
Yes, I wondered about that too. Maybe it is there as a deliberate challenge for someone to argue against and get a bit of discussion going in the blog comments. He does say he likes argument.

...I always worry a little when these cross-disciplinary types start enthusiastically applying the tools of one discipline to an area they're not specifically designed or intended to he used in. ...
-40hz (June 15, 2014, 11:39 AM)
--- End quote ---
Yes, and then in many cases what happens is they seem to apply those tools incorrectly too - e.g., the abuse of stochastic method by people who have never been trained in it. I reckon a lot of the blame for that can be laid squarely at the feet of SPSS. Suddenly, everybody's a half-baked wannabe statistician using half-baked methods, attempting to "prove" their irrational pet half-baked theories, and correlation becomes causality. Next, they go on to prove that black is white and get killed on a pedestrian crossing...(HHGTTG).

...Regardless, i always appreciate reading a thoughtful unique perspective on things.
-mouser (June 15, 2014, 11:51 AM)
--- End quote ---
Yes, me too, though I much prefer it if I also learn something new from that unique perspective - a good example would be Number Watch:
Number Watch 
 All about the scares, scams, junk, panics and flummery cooked up by the media, politicians, bureaucrats, so-called scientists and others who try to confuse you with wrong numbers.

Working to combat Math Hysteria.

"It is a pleasure to stand upon the shore, and to see ships tost upon the sea: a pleasure to stand in the window of the castle and to see the battle and the adventures thereof below: but no pleasure is comparable to the standing upon the vantage ground of truth ( a hill not to be commanded and where the air is always clear and serene), and to see the errors, and wanderings, and mists, and tempests, in the vale below."
From Of Truth, Francis Bacon.

--- End quote ---

- it is a site set up by one Professor John Brignell, an engineer and mathematician. The discussion forum is pretty good with some lively rational discussion - and humour.

Renegade:
Interesting. I read through a few posts.

The first one was this:

http://www.overcomingbias.com/2014/06/mocking-as-respect.html

Sigh... He identifies a pet peeve of mine. A relatively minor one, but an annoying one. Skipping the rant...

I had a slightly different take on reading some of his stuff -- what puts me off was the feeling that, regardless of the validity of his observations and analysis -- embracing some of this stuff seems like it would turn you into a real jerk.  Kind of like reading a book that tells you how to manipulate others and befriend people with political connections that will benefit you.

Regardless, i always appreciate reading a thoughtful unique perspective on things.
-mouser (June 15, 2014, 11:51 AM)
--- End quote ---

Going way off on another topic, but related to my highlight above, (FAIR WARNING - THE LINK HERE **WILL** OFFEND MANY PEOPLE) Christopher Cantwell's blog has much of that in it, and in a far more blatant way. He's NOT subtle. While much of what he has to say is well reasoned, it, well, I suppose that you really need to read for yourself to see what's up there. Most people would be repulsed by what he has to say, but such is the nature of the knee jerk reaction.

I would be curious to know what Robin Hanson would have to say about Christopher Cantwell. Just how far could Robin push his ability to overcome his own bias there?

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[*] Previous page