Cargo Cult Science: Richard Feynman’s 1974 Caltech Graduation Address on Integrity

Though the talk was never recorded, you can read it in full here and hear it narrated below:



"This long history of learning how not to fool ourselves — of having utter scientific integrity — is, I’m sorry to say, something that we haven’t specifically included in any particular course that I know of. We just hope you’ve caught on by osmosis.

The first principle is that you must not fool yourself — and you are the easiest person to fool. So you have to be very careful about that. After you’ve not fooled yourself, it’s easy not to fool other scientists. You just have to be honest in a conventional way after that."

......

"I have just one wish for you — the good luck to be somewhere where you are free to maintain the kind of integrity I have described, and where you do not feel forced by a need to maintain your position in the organization, or financial support, or so on, to lose your integrity. May you have that freedom."

Buffett at the D.C. Economics Club

Happy Days are Here Again: The Inflation Song

This film reel is from 1933 and extols the virtues of "moderate" inflation on economic growth and prosperity-- much along the lines of what we hear from the economic pundits of today who believe increased government spending is cure for all of our economic ills.

Sugar Bad, Pot Good

Nanny Bloomberg, Mayor for life of NYC, after outlawing large, sugary drinks last week has deemed it ok for the NYPD to cut back on marijuana arrests inadvertently creating a hell on earth for buzz-heads unable to satisfy their cravings for munchies.  Rumor is they are headed for Jersey in droves.

The Lonely Life of the Computer Scientist

The book "C Programming Language" by Brian Kernighan and Dennis Ritchie is a classic.

Cycles of Life

Via Laughing Squid

The Bears on QE 3, 4, and 5

Having Fun with Nanny Bloomberg

Should any politician anywhere be able to dictate the size of food or drink portions? Where does the Nanny state end? Does the Bloomberg ego have no boundaries? Oh, by the way, have a doughnut to celebrate National Doughnut Day. I bet he gets more political contributions from Dunkin Donuts than Coke or Pepsi. Hummmm...... maybe New York's finest should be eating a few less doughnuts..... there's some food for future thought.

From the WSJ: "Mayor Bloomberg believes that government has a duty to educate its citizens and even to "nudge" them in the right direction. But the real lesson here is that a government that pays most health-care bills will soon be dictating the everyday behavior of its people. An America that needs government to protect its citizens from 20-ounce sodas has bigger problems than obesity."