Learning Is The First Step
The US leads the world in gender diversity among professional software engineers. Source, Stack Overflow developer surveys 2011-2021, with emphasis on the most recent year of data. While software development is not particularly diverse, it is not among the least diverse industries and adjacent job families in the broader tech ecosystem are among the most … Read more
In statistics we often complain about omitted variable bias. Throughout my academic training, however, I have never been instructed against included variable bias. Omitted variable bias is the case where a regression fails to include a right hand factor. As a result, some of the explanatory power that the missing factor properly deserves is improperly … Read more
This article briefly describes how to correct for own bias. It’s motivated by the question of a Facebook friend: “What steps do you take to actively correct for your bias when you want to determine the answers to complicated socio-economic questions?” The answer, I think, is applicable to all sorts of questions. Other-orientedness Unconscious bias … Read more
Ben Carson lost some of my respect over the past few days, but not for the reason you might expect. You see, Ben Carson was absolutely correct to claim that homosexuality is a choice. Why did he lose some of my respect then? Because he was so quick to apologize for his claim. Ben Carson’s … Read more
This article will cover 6 logical insights which are applicable to scientific analysis and philosophy. 1 – The Expanded Principle of Non-Contradiction Two nonequivalent statements cannot simultaneously be true and contradictory. The principle of non-contradiction holds that if A is true, A’ (that is, the negation of A) cannot also be true. An example would … Read more
This article will attack two problems in statistics. The two problems are the selection bias in sampling and the arbitrary nature of common alpha levels. Most statisticians know that the ideal way to sample is a simple random sample, but what if that simple random sample is arguably not representative of the whole population? The … Read more
Indirect/Circumstantial evidence is a thing. A valid thing. If you watch your father rob a store you have directly observed. If you see a man with a mask on wearing your fathers shirt and watch, holding your father’s gun, about the size of your father, barking orders in the voice of your father, running off … Read more