lexcorvus

11 ms·

31.
by lexcorvus 11y ago
On the one hand, applying valid generalizations is not bias. On the other hand, when dealing with individuals, one rarely has to rely on generalizations. On the gripping hand [1], treating individuals fairly can look like bias when iterat
32.
by lexcorvus 11y ago
Over and over, Dr. Cheryan and her colleagues have found that female students are more interested in enrolling in a computer class if they are shown a classroom (whether virtual or real) decorated not with “Star Wars” posters, science-fict
33.
by lexcorvus 11y ago
It's impolitic to notice it, but America used to be a lot like this as well. See, e.g., Bowling Alone by Harvard political scientist Robert Putnam ( http://www.amazon.com/Bowling-Alone-Collapse-American-Commun... ). On
34.
by lexcorvus 11y ago
There's no such thing as a single "African" cluster There's a large cluster (with, of course, lots of subclusters) that includes almost all sub-Saharan Africans—basically, everyone except Khoisan (Bushmen) and Pygmies.
35.
by lexcorvus 11y ago
This is Lewontin's Fallacy. Briefly, there is no contradiction between the existence of clusters and the notion that there is more variation within clusters than between clusters. For example, the variation in height within the categ
36.
by lexcorvus 11y ago
The subject is different, but the point is the same: It is hard to imagine technology restriction working, because we have to get past imagining this terribly powerful tool being wielded by our utterly incompetent and corrupt rulers. The
37.
by lexcorvus 11y ago
Unfortunately, at this point bigot is a distinctly Orwellian term. Consider, for example, the statement "Italians are more intelligent than Germans." By itself, this statement can't be bigoted, because it simply represents
38.
by lexcorvus 11y ago
Thanks for the reference. Hard to tell if veganism is the cause, though. For example, lots of paleo people consume "living foods," including fermented vegetables. Do they see similar benefits? I'd wager yes. Plus, the study d
39.
by lexcorvus 11y ago
I think you mean "positive feedback loop." A negative feedback loop tends to restore an equilibrium.
40.
by lexcorvus 11y ago
Holmes is a vegan because avoiding animal products allows her to function on less sleep. Just gonna drop that one in there? I'd love to see evidence of this. (As a happy non-vegan, I kind of hope it's not true.)
41.
by lexcorvus 11y ago
But money has some transaction value that makes it more valuable than zero interest bonds, so this situation could not be an equilibrium. The equilibrium price would be set by the demand for money-as-currency. But in the limit of instanta
42.
by lexcorvus 11y ago
As soon as I saw the title, I thought, "Oh, Nature stepped in it." But think of how odd it is that here, in 2015, it's considered (by some) inappropriate to describe a woman as an "enchantress." It reminds me of t
43.
by lexcorvus 11y ago
What could possibly go wrong?
44.
by lexcorvus 11y ago
Life in Europe is better for now. Flood European countries with millions of "refugees" and it won't be for long. On the other hand, I sometimes say "If immigration is so great, why don't you take a foreign lodger in
45.
by lexcorvus 11y ago
That would be the Civil Rights Act of 1964 which makes it illegal to discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. That's the one. It seems like an obviously good idea. Are all seemingly good ideas actu
46.
by lexcorvus 11y ago
When your startup holds meetups at bars, you're not being nice to marginalized groups that don't do well in these settings. When you haven't examined your hiring practices you're not being nice to the people you've
47.
by lexcorvus 11y ago
This announcement makes me think of a quote from the Urbit dev mailing list [1]: Infinite or effectively infinite identity systems are not impossible to make spam-free. There is a very easy way to make them spam-free. Install a dictator.
48.
by lexcorvus 11y ago
Incidentally, Chebyshev is pronounced "cheh-bee-shoff", not (as is commonly heard) "cheh-bee-shev".
49.
by lexcorvus 11y ago
The USSR was never communist By this definition, has there ever been a communist country?
50.
by lexcorvus 11y ago
It's obviously a matter of when, not if It was just as obvious a hundred years ago that horse manure piling up in city streets was just going to keep getting worse. we can all agree that it's a non-renewable resource which will
51.
by lexcorvus 11y ago
I remember ten years ago when worrying about Peak Oil was all the rage. You don't hear too much about that nowadays…
52.
by lexcorvus 11y ago
There are three completely separate questions: (a) Has the global mean temperature recently increased? (b) Have human activities contributed to changes in climate? (c) What are the likely effects (positive and negative) of a rise in global
53.
by lexcorvus 11y ago
This is of course true in the trivial sense, but he means languages disproportionately used by early adopters (Ruby, Python, Go, etc.).
54.
by lexcorvus 11y ago
If enough people make the same error, especially if they're sufficiently high-status, eventually it becomes standard usage. But there's a transitional period during which those who care about clear communication are understandably
55.
by lexcorvus 11y ago
Could someone explain the title? If this is a "different" YC, what was the original?
56.
by lexcorvus 11y ago
Physical displays of affection among men is more common in cultures where such displays aren't likely to be misinterpreted as sexual in nature. For example, it's common in Saudi Arabia for men to hold hands and even kiss: https:&
57.
by lexcorvus 11y ago
1. This isn't censorship of the type that is illegal or not allowed. This is true, but the same can be said of the Hollywood blacklist [1] during the Red Scare. Do you support Hollywood blacklist–style ideological litmus tests in tec
58.
by lexcorvus 11y ago
I don't own TWTR, but that's irrelevant. All of Twitter's early investors are very pleased with their investment, while those who missed out or (worse) passed are probably wringing Twitter's hands. Anyone who invested $1
59.
by lexcorvus 11y ago
is there anything sadder than a political agenda that can be expressed in 140 characters Well, at least it's a step up from bumper stickers.
60.
by lexcorvus 11y ago
As of this writing, Twitter's market capitalization is over $23 billion. That's a success by any sensible definition. If you know something the market doesn't, there's any easy way to put your money where your mouth is:

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