Cognitive sickle-cell anemia (2012/02/12)
Sickle-cell anemia has been a favorite example of biologists for years, because it’s an obviously harmful trait which is strongly selected for by evolutionary pressures. The gimmick is simple; it’s a recessive trait, so you only get the anemia if you have two genes for it. If you only have one gene for it, you’re effectively immune to malaria. In circumstances where lots of people die from malaria, this can be a marvelously useful trait to have – useful enough to make up for losing a few kids to anemia.
[read more...]Helpy McHelperson: An advice blog (2012/02/10)
Helpy McHelperson is my attempt to solve a crucial problem: I do not spend enough of my time giving people Useful Advice.
[read more...]How to be richer than you've ever been (2012/02/07)
Wealth is largely self-norming; while people tend to want more money, past some point (I think currently around $50k/year income in the US) it stops actually showing measurable effects on happiness.
[read more...]My best sentence ever (2012/02/07)
I am concerned. We made a down payment on a lesbian and before it even shipped it got hit by a seagull.
[read more...]Monkeys and Robots (2012/02/06)
I’ve been reading a book on “Scrum” methodology. Interesting stuff, and a lot of it makes sense.
[read more...]Stealing the declaration of independence (2012/01/31)
Tumblr is full of jokes about “steal the declaration of independence”, which are (Jesse informs me) references to a move called National Treasure in which Nicholas Cage intends to do this.
[read more...]Discrimination, fairness, and making comparisons (2012/01/30)
So there’s this guy in Tennessee, part of their legislature. He says stupid stuff, like claiming that it’s virtually impossible to transmit HIV through heterosexual sex (not true).
[read more...]Thoughts about tone (2012/01/27)
While browsing for something else, I stumbled across a remark by Tyler Cowen observing the benefits of polite discourse. Or at least the disadvantages of rudeness.
[read more...]Law of unintended consequences (2012/01/27)
The community over on tumblr (note: my tumblr blog is even more NSFW than this one) is interesting. See. Jesse and I are, quite obviously and visibly, Very Much In Love. And our mutual friend, Luka, has adopted the role of Jesse’s kismesis, which results in hilarity as Jesse and Luka insult each other loudly and obviously.
[read more...]People like to be heard (2012/01/26)
So, thinking about it.
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