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What's the probability that these guys are friends in real life who both mutually benefit from the popularity of their public feud?
by kevinventullo 8y ago
What's the probability that these guys are friends in real life who both mutually benefit from the popularity of their public feud?
- phpnode 8y agoPretty low.
- kolbe 8y agoI have a hard time believing Taleb can keep any friends. He thinks everyone is an idiot, and doesn't have any reservation about telling them.
- spitfire 8y agoHe's good friends with Stephen Wolfram. Take that any way you like.
- mwerty 8y agoA new kind of friendship.
- whitepoplar 8y agounderrated comment
- dralley 8y agoI know that this is probably exactly what you mean, but Wolfram doesn't have the best reputation for humility himself.
- ben509 8y agoMaybe not a lot of friends among his professional peers, but that wouldn't narrow his circle much.
- ar0 8y agoI am not so sure about this. When you read his books or look at his Twitter feed you surely get the impression he is a self-obsessed, extremely arrogant weirdo. But when he gives e.g. a talk in person, he comes across very differently - self-reflective, engaging, emphatic and funny. As someone else has mentioned in this thread, there are really two Talebs out there...
- icebraining 8y agoNot sure they're friends, but he seems to have a good rapport with Russ Roberts (of Econtalk).
- shoguning 8y agoPossible... but I don't think so. I believe the hatred is pretty visceral. For one Taleb is/was pro-Trump, Silver definitely not. Taleb, despite being a professor/author/elite in his own way is pretty anti-elitist in rhetoric, again very different from Silver. Personality-wise, Taleb is pretty abrasive and has very few 'friends' in the public sphere that I know of, despite the high profile of his work--this is regardless if you think he is right or wrong.
- whatshisface 8y agoWhatever the probability is, it must be priced so as to prevent arbitrage.
- dxbydt 8y agoWell I know for a fact that Ann Coulter is on very good terms with several HuffPo dems, yet they appear bitter rivals on tv. Its definitely plausible Taleb, Silver & Pinker are drinking buddies who hatched up this elaborate charade to hawk stat books. Statistics is an extremely dry subject & nobody including the doctorate students are particularly excited about, so props to this triad for engaging in these antics.