Monthly Archives: February 2012

  This is from the University of Edinburgh. It’s being heavily circulated right now in edtech. I agree with most of it. I find point two particularly a) true, and b) problematic. And if the truth of the manifesto is … Continue reading →

So we have this COMPARABLE framework I’ve been working on, where COMPARABLE is an acronym for the sorts of things you want to look at when presented with a comparison. The “M” in the acronym stands for “Mental Experiment”, and … Continue reading →

For the stats text, I’ve been trying to think of/find rules that apply across a wide array of disciplines. Here’s one: control for cyclical effects. It applies here (summer gas spikes): And here, with voting in elections — presidential elections … Continue reading →

Gas prices are up again. What’s going on? Who’s to blame? Of course big long term driver is China. China needs more gas, and its exploding demand has put pressure on the market. But what about the recent spike? Apparently … Continue reading →

Decent graph from NYT showing quintiles over time, in this case, the declining portion of government benefits the poorest 20% of the population receives. These sorts of graphs are very in right now, as the format is perfect for showing … Continue reading →

Making some progress on the Making Fair Comparisons textbook. The preface is below. One thing I’ve learned from reading cheesy self-help books: If you believe a skill will change a person’s life, you should say it. At the end of the book, … Continue reading →

I’m writing a intro stats book right now (a small one for students). This lecture really brings home the problem of the “garden path” solution, and how small changes in presentation could make a big difference.

Everyone knows that campaign spending is out of control, right? Except it’s not. In raw numbers, of course, the amount just keeps getting bigger, but controlled for inflation, it’s exactly what you would expect, and no more expensive than it … Continue reading →

In a Moneybox post I mostly agree with, Matt Yglesias says this: In order to do well in courses on 19th Century British Literature or Social Anthropology or Philosophy or American History in a properly running American college, what you … Continue reading →