Letters Remain

Category: Uncategorized

  • Complex Concepts, Explained Better

    “Learn Right, Not Rote” is the tag line for Better Explained; a site explaining concepts in mathematics and programming intuitively in order to make learning easy and—God forbid—fun! For example, the explanation of natural log is excellent. via SMBC

  • Underschedule and Make Your Free Time Count

    If you underschedule you achieve time affluence, the ability (time) to master something you are not required to, and the freedom to expose yourself to ‘positive randomness’ (unexpected opportunities). Cal Newport then goes on to suggest simple but effective advice on how to make your (newfound) free time count (I paraphrase and generalise): Once a week do each of…

  • Warren Buffett’s Letters to Berkshire Hathaway Shareholders

    Warren Buffett’s letters to the shareholders of Berkshire Hathaway are read and quoted widely, coming to be regarded as one of the most important annual publications in the business and investing world. Over the years the letters have covered, in quite some detail, almost every important aspect of investing. The (incredibly lacklustre) Berkshire Hathaway website provides…

  • Genomics and Determinism

    In 2008 Stephen Pinker’s genome was sequenced and publicly released as part of the Personal Genome Project. In light of this, Pinker argues that even though our genes greatly influence our behaviour, they don’t determine who we are, concluding that “even when the effect of some gene is indubitable, the sheer complexity of the self will…

  • The Anatomy of Gullibility

    In the aftermath of the Madoff Ponzi scheme, psychologist Stephen Greenspan writes in The Wall Street Journal on why we continuously fall for financial scams—and in the process describes the ‘anatomy’ of gullibility. Gullibility is a sub-type of foolish action, which might be termed “induced-social.” It is induced because it always occurs in the presence…

  • The Myth of Moral Hazard

    The economic theory of moral hazard is “the prospect that a party insulated from risk may behave differently from the way it would behave if it were fully exposed to the risk” (e.g. holders of car insurance may engage in riskier behaviour than non-holders, investors may take unnecessary risks if they expect to be bailed…

  • Mapping Twitter’s #UKSnow Traffic

    Those on Twitter following friends (or strangers) from the UK may have recently seen a flurry of ‘tweets’ tagged with the #UKSnow hashtag. As expected, a use for the abundant data soon arose: Real-time map of #UKSnow: This real-time map of #UKSnow tweets has gained a lot of media attention in the UK. Updated every minute.…

  • Mind and Digital Photography Projects

    Mind Bites is a wonderful photography project from Will Lion combining fantastic CC-licenced Flickr images with quotes from peer-reviewed cognitive science research. (For the masochists among you, there’s an interactive Flash gallery too.) via Mind Hacks Equally appealing is Lion’s Digital Bites; a similar project encompasing “internet, entertainment, media and brands”.

  • Archive of Book Cover Designs and Designers

    The wonderful Archive of Book Cover Designs and Designers has a simple—yet important—raison d’ĂȘtre: “for the purpose of appreciation and categorization”. Already quite extensive, the archive is constantly growing through reader suggestions and is searchable by designer, photographer, author, and many more besides. The site’s footer also provides a wonderful directory of equally great sites…

  • Consumer Bias: Middle Options and the Paradox of Choice

    A recent article from American Economic Review looks at the consumer bias in preferring the middle of three options, and the tendency to buy less when offered more. Numerous studies demonstrate that seemingly irrelevant factors influence people’s decisions. [
] When three alternatives are available, the middle alternative is chosen more often than when it is paired…