3 ms·

Yeah, the problem with this startup is that the high-minded Bayesianism of their model is going to run up against the crass incentive to make exciting, media-fr

by dash2 6y ago

Yeah, the problem with this startup is that the high-minded Bayesianism of their model is going to run up against the crass incentive to make exciting, media-friendly claims. Their track record doesn't seem that rigorous either, they just list a few (like 5) cases where evidence has later supported them: https://www.rootclaim.com/rootclaim_track_record https://www.rootclaim.com/rootclaim_track_record

meowface 6y ago
Their track record seems neither compelling nor skepticism-worthy, I think, often because a lot of their conclusions lined up with already widely accepted hypotheses (e.g. that MMR vaccines don't cause autism and that MH17 was shot down by DNR), and a lot of the controversial things naturally remain unknown. The most interesting - where public opinion was against and Rootclaim was for, and it was later shown Rootclaim was far more likely to be right - seem to be the deaths of Barry and Honey Sherman [0] and that MH370 vanished due to pilot suicide [1]. I think where the rubber would meet the road is if they're ever shown to be correct about the Syrian chemical attacks [2], where they draw the opposite conclusion Bellingcat did, and of course about the COVID-19 origin. If they do turn out to be right about those, that would grant them major credibility points, I think; though the conclusions there may never be known one way or another. If they are right about COVID-19, it would also make me view Bret Weinstein with a lot more credibility, since he's been advocating the likelihood of the lab leak hypothesis for a while. [0] https://www.rootclaim.com/rootclaim_track_record#barry_and_honey_sherman https://www.rootclaim.com/rootclaim_track_record#barry_and_h... [1] https://www.rootclaim.com/rootclaim_track_record#MH_370 https://www.rootclaim.com/rootclaim_track_record#MH_370 [2] https://www.rootclaim.com/rootclaim_track_record#syrian_chemical_attacks https://www.rootclaim.com/rootclaim_track_record#syrian_chem...
- loceng 6y ago
  Re: Bret Weinstein - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5SRrsr-Iug https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5SRrsr-Iug

by dash2 6y ago

meowface 6y ago

Their track record seems neither compelling nor skepticism-worthy, I think, often because a lot of their conclusions lined up with already widely accepted hypotheses (e.g. that MMR vaccines don't cause autism and that MH17 was shot down by DNR), and a lot of the controversial things naturally remain unknown. The most interesting - where public opinion was against and Rootclaim was for, and it was later shown Rootclaim was far more likely to be right - seem to be the deaths of Barry and Honey Sherman [0] and that MH370 vanished due to pilot suicide [1]. I think where the rubber would meet the road is if they're ever shown to be correct about the Syrian chemical attacks [2], where they draw the opposite conclusion Bellingcat did, and of course about the COVID-19 origin. If they do turn out to be right about those, that would grant them major credibility points, I think; though the conclusions there may never be known one way or another. If they are right about COVID-19, it would also make me view Bret Weinstein with a lot more credibility, since he's been advocating the likelihood of the lab leak hypothesis for a while. [0] https://www.rootclaim.com/rootclaim_track_record#barry_and_honey_sherman https://www.rootclaim.com/rootclaim_track_record#barry_and_h... [1] https://www.rootclaim.com/rootclaim_track_record#MH_370 https://www.rootclaim.com/rootclaim_track_record#MH_370 [2] https://www.rootclaim.com/rootclaim_track_record#syrian_chemical_attacks https://www.rootclaim.com/rootclaim_track_record#syrian_chem...

loceng 6y ago
Re: Bret Weinstein - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5SRrsr-Iug https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5SRrsr-Iug