I walk my daughter to school many mornings. On the way up the hill, we play a game. I tell three stories and she has to tell me which is untrue. So far it’s clearly been too easy as she gets them every time. That’s okay, I still plan to beat her at Carcassonne someday. …
Category archives: communication
Orange is the new orange
Orange is a colour. Right? Yes, but it was a fruit before it was a colour. Before then the colour we know as orange was described as a shade or mix of yellow and red. Ideas become words and then words become ideas all on their own.
Not this old outcry again
Life expectancy is one of those funny measures with a cavernous gap between those who think they understand it and those who do. The latest controversy arose a few days ago a year ago (this post has been in draft for a long time…) because Russia is planning to increase the normal retirement age from …
Illusory truth
I’ve been using snopes.com to fact check dubious stories since before fake news was a term. I still recommend it to everyone. I also teach elements of critical thinking in some of the actuarial normative skills workshops I run. By the time students get to me there, they are often already pessimistic and cynical when …
A private exhumation
Is this blog dead? No, but you could be forgiven for thinking so. I will be posting a little more frequently than over the last year. That isn’t a high bar. Given the long silence, there are quite a few topics I’ve been thinking about and discussing with friends and colleagues. You’ll have to check …
Alternatives to uncanny
This is a rant about people who are wrong on the internet. Also, why Huffington Post is a platform for big bad wolves. And why the asymmetric information and importance of financial advice means it’s not okay. Maybe this is just part of Cunningham’s Law. Clickbait headline? Check. “3 Smart Alternatives to Life Insurance“ Numbered …
Cunningham’s law
Briefest of posts today, but amusing to me mostly for its accuracy. Cunningham’s Law states “the best way to get the right answer on the internet is not to ask a question; it’s to post the wrong answer.”
23rd floor in Oz
A friend of mine found a 23rd floor in Australia.