This is the first post in a series on touchscreen devices. Post 2 here. Post 3 here. A common view of computer progress might go something like mainframe, PC, workstation, desktop publishing, email/web/internet, smart phone. But if you slice computing eras purely along the lines of human-computer user interface, ignoring everything else, you get Computing Interface… Continue reading The Rise of the Touchscreen Interface
On the total awesomeness of economist Scott Sumner
It is hard to overstate the influence of Bentley University’s Scott Sumner on monetary policy since he started blogging at The Money Illusion in Feb 2009. Sumner has pushed economists close to acknowledging that the Fed is to blame for one of the largest economic policy disasters since the Great Depression.
Partisan Incomprehension. “You didn’t build that” edition.
The theme for the first day of the Republican convention was “We Built It.” What struck me was not that the Republicans twisted an Obama quote to make a tag line. Rather it was how some people found the focus on that line simply incomprehensible. And yet that incomprehension has a story to tell. In… Continue reading Partisan Incomprehension. “You didn’t build that” edition.
Why did Paul Ryan lie about his marathon time?
In a recent interview Paul Ryan gave a much faster personal record for his marathon time than he actually ran. Nicholas Thompson has a good overview, plus James Fallows as well. Ryan claimed to have finished “Under three, high twos. I had a two hour and fifty-something.” Via Thompson he actually finished with a 4:01… Continue reading Why did Paul Ryan lie about his marathon time?
The Enduring Appeal of Ayn Rand
Ayn Rand is in the news this month since Congressman and VP hopeful Paul Ryan cited her as a major influence. In reaction, Paul Krugman wrote that Ayn Rand’s novel Atlas Shrugged is “a perennial favorite among adolescent boys”. And in regard to the G.O.P.:“What does it say about the party when its intellectual leader evidently gets… Continue reading The Enduring Appeal of Ayn Rand
Ricardo does the medal count
Olympic medal count predictions are good fun, especially by economists who put a model behind them. But with the Olympics over it’s already hard to care much about the medal race between China and the US. But maybe that’s because we used the wrong economists. You know, ones who are alive. Perhaps the best economist to… Continue reading Ricardo does the medal count
The Genomic Tsunami. Reshaping arguments for Human Equality.
This is part 3 of a 3 part series. Part 1 is here. Part 2 is here. In part 1, we saw how the 10,000 fold decease in genome sequencing costs is creating a golden age for genomics biology. In part 2, we reviewed recent debates about race, genetics and intelligence. Now we can put this together… Continue reading The Genomic Tsunami. Reshaping arguments for Human Equality.
Genomics goes from trickle to flood
This is part 2 of a 3 part series. Part 1 is here. Part 3 is here. In part 1, we saw how the 10,000 fold decrease in genome sequencing costs has ushered in a golden age for genomic biology. This onslaught of genetic data is upending a lot of old views, and in particular it’s… Continue reading Genomics goes from trickle to flood
Cheap genome sequencing – expectations and reality
This is part 1 of a 3 part series. Part 2 is here. Part 3 is here. The human genome project completed the first draft of the human genome in 2000 after a 10 year push. Looking back, what’s striking is the expectation this draft genome would provide immediate practical use in medicine. President… Continue reading Cheap genome sequencing – expectations and reality
Closing the astronaut window. Robots onward.
The recent release of the wonderful mars rover pancam shot above shows how real space exploration is being done. I used to enjoy science fiction books and movies about astronauts doing space exploration, but the tropes involved just don’t ring true anymore. Those tropes were formed around the time of the Apollo program and haven’t… Continue reading Closing the astronaut window. Robots onward.
Praxtime by Nathan Taylor 