Colin > Recent Status Updates

There is less of a nature/nurture dichotomy as there is the notion that much gene expression is highly dependent on environment. Both genetic and environmental factors need to kick in for certain traits (e.g. aggressiveness in the case of a “warrior gene” needs to have been coupled with a history of childhood abuse to manifest.)

Interesting distinction between how strongly a trait is “inherited” and the “heritability” score of that trait. The former measures the impact of genetic factors on the average expression of the trait in the population, whereas the latter measures the impact of genetic factors on the variability of that trait within the population. Case in point: number of fingers is strongly inherited but weakly heritable.

Childhood matters in determining propensities for adult behavior. The book explains the genetic reasons for this otherwise obvious factoid.

“Lenore’s room was filled with sad hot orange sunset.”

Testosterone doesn’t cause aggression, it amplifies emotional responses and behaviors arising from specific contexts

Feels like a modern sort of take in lgbt relationships - would the Helladic Greeks have felt that way?

Love judge fang.

The idea of mutual incomprehensibility (Babel) being a guard against the spread of linguistic and memetic viruses strikes a chord in this covid age.

Look at Chapter 56 for a summary of the philosophical-linguistic underpinnings of the book

It's been entertaining so far. The idea that a kind of viral pathogen as a Babel moment in the time of Sumer is interesting...although seriously, racist much?

But all Feds go to work early and stay late. It’s a loyalty thing with them. The Feds have a fetish for loyalty—since they don’t make a lot of money or get a lot of respect, you have to prove you’re personally committed and that you don’t care about those trappings.

There’s laptops - he predicted the gig economy and centralized dispatch.

Best and worst behaviors. Like a more balanced version of zimbardo

Good effort for 1992 but he severely underestimated the potential bandwidth of cellular signals.

VR is still pretty far away though.

Earth is real time google earth.

And infopocalypse is basically a souped up google assistant

He really underestimated the penetration rate of computer hardware devices.

That marriage should be a privatized notion is intuitive. It’s the getting there that’s hard because there is so much emotive association with the notion.

The right to sue for medical negligence drives up costs? Interesting

Sunstein and thaler are cap and trade optimists eh

The authors think of subprime as not inherently bad - think microfinance - as long as buyers and brokers are clear on their decision making. Thus they think better choice architecture would have solved the problems. Is this necessarily true though

Mapping is about how to translate abstract parameters into understandable outcomes to enable decision making

Incentives, understanding mappings i.e. cost benefit structures, defaults, giving feedback, expect error, structure complex choices ie colors by shade not alphabetical order (102)

Will one time nudges to adopt algorithms make humans more like Econs

A story of seeing, being seen. Through letters. Recognition of identity. Vietnamese. Queer. As a son. A grandson.

Human cognitive bias is what enables nudges. Temptation can be overcome by mental accounting strategies. Eusocial behavior can be encouraged by pointing out what the majority does (or fails to do) - cause we are herd animals

Very much in the self deprecating avuncular professional voice. Also nothing new given from 2008. But good refresher.

Libertarian paternalism has a branding problem.