Nassim Taleb has indicted Charles Murray as a “mountebank” because Murray demonstrates that measured general intelligence, G, has a high correlation with financial success. Correlation has a strong resemblance to causation, especially when the measure of success is a broad proxy like income, which can lead erroneously to social Darwinism. Because this is a dangerousContinue reading “Taleb VS Murray”
Category Archives: Authors
Elitism and Aristocracy
Aristo– is a word-forming element meaning “best,” or “of the aristocracy,” from Greek aristos “best of its kind, noblest, bravest, most virtuous”” (of persons, animals, things). In its Greek form, aristos denoted that which was excellent in kind, noble in bearing, virtuous in conduct. It was not yet the title of a class. The aristoi were thoseContinue reading “Elitism and Aristocracy”
From Cosmos to Multiverse
My introduction to cosmology was Carl Sagan’s Cosmos: A Personal Voyage (1980). What struck me was Sagan’s cadence. He spoke slowly, almost reverently, as though the subject demanded awe before explanation. He framed knowledge as a moral duty: to understand our place, to cultivate humility in the face of immensity. The series worked because itContinue reading “From Cosmos to Multiverse”