4 ms·
a) 'twas a joke, sir. :) and b) the idea may not be silly but the name sure is. By this nomenclature, all current economists should more properly be called "Ec
by discojesus 17y ago
a) 'twas a joke, sir. :)
and b) the idea may not be silly but the name sure is. By this nomenclature, all current economists should more properly be called "Econostatisticians" or "Econopsychologists" (to quote Charlie Munger speaking about the silliness of the term "Behavioral Economics": "If economics isn't behavioral, then what the hell is it?!?")
No offense meant, of course. I just think it's a bit humorous. He's an economist who uses methods from physics, that's all - no need to make up a new name for it (let alone a name that sounds even dopier than the previous name).
- adw 17y agoYeah, sorry about missing the intent of the joke :) I'm cynical enough to think people'll just take pot-shots at scientists playing outside their perceived core expertises just on principle. Not that I'm a scientist turned startupper or anything. Anyway, it's a pretentious name, but I think it's a bit like "systems biology" (biology done by physicists). If physicists do it, they like inventing a new name. Of course, there's masses of that kind of thing, and I guess I'm a bit more sensitive to it than most; the research I did when I was still a researcher could have been called quantum chemistry, solid state physics, materials science, or what it was actually called (theoretical mineralogy) and still have been the same damn thing! (Predicting how glass works.)
- Anon84 17y ago"systems biology" (biology done by physicists). If physicists do it, they like inventing a new name. Or biophysics, nanobiology, "human dynamics", etc... sexy names make for sexy media attention (and grants). <joke> Also, we like to think of it not as "X done by physicists" but rather "X done right" </joke>