4 ms·

Nassim Nicholas Taleb: """ I am scared of living in a society that doesn't find it obvious that things perfected by nature over millions of years are scientif

by pella 4y ago

Nassim Nicholas Taleb: """ I am scared of living in a society that doesn't find it obvious that things perfected by nature over millions of years are scientifically speaking, safer than things made by some "scientists" in a lab. Statistically, the "large n" of nature makes it > scientific. """ https://twitter.com/nntaleb/status/1172495876717273088 https://twitter.com/nntaleb/status/1172495876717273088

pazimzadeh 4y ago
he comes to the right conclusion but his reasoning is poor
illiarian 4y ago
> I am scared of living in a society that doesn't find it obvious that things perfected by nature over millions of years are scientifically speaking, safer than things made by some "scientists" in a lab. This is the "natural corn" you consume vs. the actual natural corn: https://www.eurekalert.org/multimedia/670657 https://www.eurekalert.org/multimedia/670657 Same goes for all "natural things" you eat.
- pella 4y ago
  https://necsi.edu/the-precautionary-principle https://necsi.edu/the-precautionary-principle "Our analysis makes clear that the PP is essential for a limited set of contexts and can be used to justify only a limited set of actions. We discuss the implications for nuclear energy and GMOs. GMOs represent a public risk of global harm, while harm from nuclear energy is comparatively limited and better characterized. PP should be used to prescribe severe limits on GMOs."
  - illiarian 4y ago
    I wonder what their answer would be to Green Revolution in the 60s... Also, I can't get past random graphs with random numbers with zero explanation of the axes. There are valid concerns expressed, but they are buried underneath an avalanche of demagoguery.
    - pella 4y ago
      just read a PDF .. https://arxiv.org/abs/1410.5787 https://arxiv.org/abs/1410.5787
      - illiarian 4y ago
        I read their PDF (well, skimmed through). That's why I wrote what I wrote
- goldfeld 4y ago
  Yes, lab corn, the greatest heritage invention of america since the great depression of the gilded age! Corn even looks like gold.
- modo_mario 4y ago
  What was it with those studies about many vegetables containing less of various nutrients than they used to and how often that related to their size, look, amount of inputs needed, resistance to various ailments and removal of various inconveniences, etc Can we assume incentives are aligned properly to avoid more such effects? I'd assume the opposite.

by pella 4y ago

pazimzadeh 4y ago

he comes to the right conclusion but his reasoning is poor

illiarian 4y ago

> I am scared of living in a society that doesn't find it obvious that things perfected by nature over millions of years are scientifically speaking, safer than things made by some "scientists" in a lab. This is the "natural corn" you consume vs. the actual natural corn: https://www.eurekalert.org/multimedia/670657 https://www.eurekalert.org/multimedia/670657 Same goes for all "natural things" you eat.

pella 4y ago
https://necsi.edu/the-precautionary-principle https://necsi.edu/the-precautionary-principle "Our analysis makes clear that the PP is essential for a limited set of contexts and can be used to justify only a limited set of actions. We discuss the implications for nuclear energy and GMOs. GMOs represent a public risk of global harm, while harm from nuclear energy is comparatively limited and better characterized. PP should be used to prescribe severe limits on GMOs."
- illiarian 4y ago
  I wonder what their answer would be to Green Revolution in the 60s... Also, I can't get past random graphs with random numbers with zero explanation of the axes. There are valid concerns expressed, but they are buried underneath an avalanche of demagoguery.
  - pella 4y ago
    just read a PDF .. https://arxiv.org/abs/1410.5787 https://arxiv.org/abs/1410.5787
    - illiarian 4y ago
      I read their PDF (well, skimmed through). That's why I wrote what I wrote
goldfeld 4y ago
Yes, lab corn, the greatest heritage invention of america since the great depression of the gilded age! Corn even looks like gold.
modo_mario 4y ago
What was it with those studies about many vegetables containing less of various nutrients than they used to and how often that related to their size, look, amount of inputs needed, resistance to various ailments and removal of various inconveniences, etc Can we assume incentives are aligned properly to avoid more such effects? I'd assume the opposite.