Posts

[Link] Duolingo 2012-01-04T14:39:52.079Z
[LINK]: Interview with Daniel Kahneman 2011-11-29T20:02:55.119Z

Comments

Comment by bradm on Stupid Questions Open Thread Round 4 · 2012-08-27T19:36:25.320Z · LW · GW

The board game "Wits and Wagers" might qualify for what you are looking for. Game play is roughly as follows: A trivia question is asked and the answer is always a number (e.g., "How many cups of coffee does the average American drink each year?", "How wide, in feet, is an American football field?"). All the players write their estimate on a slip of paper and then then they are arranged in numerical order on the board. Everybody then places a bet on the estimate they like the best (it doesn't have to be your own). The estimates near the middle have a low payback (1:1, 2:1) and the estimates near the outside have a larger payback (4:1). If your estimate is closest to the actual number or if you bet on that one, will get a payback on your bet.

Comment by bradm on Less Wrong Product & Service Recommendations · 2012-07-05T15:06:47.329Z · LW · GW

And yeah ... they ARE large amounts of fun.

Comment by bradm on Less Wrong Product & Service Recommendations · 2012-07-05T14:53:58.548Z · LW · GW

I haven't used a trampoline since I was a teenager. My neighbors had round one that I would guess was 12-15' in diameter. There were numerous injuries that I can recall, the worst being a broken leg. All of the injuries that I recall were due to what I would consider (now) to be inappropriate use. We would play dodge ball where one or more people would be on the trampoline and people off of the trampoline would throw a ball at them. I chipped a tooth doing that. Sometimes we would put a lawn sprinkler underneath the trampoline if it was really hot. I believe that is how the broken leg occurred. We did many other less stupid but still somewhat risky things, too, like doing front and back flips and seeing how high we could jump.

My point, though, is that if you do find any safety statistics take into account how they compare to how you would actually use it. Do the stats take into account the stupid things teenagers do on them?

Comment by bradm on Less Wrong Product & Service Recommendations · 2012-07-05T14:26:42.588Z · LW · GW

Gorillapod. Works great, helps me take awesome pictures.

Comment by bradm on Suggestions on tech device/gear purchasing? · 2012-03-20T16:10:57.311Z · LW · GW

I think you mean this.

Comment by bradm on [Link] Duolingo · 2012-01-04T20:58:49.812Z · LW · GW

I doubt, it would be without major errors.

I don't see why it can't be done without major errors. My understanding is that they give the same text to be translated to a large number of users and then use an algorithm to find the most probable translation. Whether there are "major errors" will depend on how well it is implemented.

Comment by bradm on All free Stanford classes, continually updated · 2011-11-29T17:44:25.527Z · LW · GW

I haven't taken previous classes, but it appears that all the videos from previous courses are available but all the homework is closed to the course.

Comment by bradm on Several Topics that May or May Not deserve their own Post · 2011-11-29T14:56:58.704Z · LW · GW

This reminds me of Louis CK's bit about kids asking "why?"

Louis C. K.: Because some things are and some things are not!

Daughter: Why?

Louis: Because things that are not can't be!

Daughter: Why?

Louis: Because then nothing wouldn't be! You can't have nothing isn't! Everything is!

Daughter: Why?

Louis: Because if nothing wasn't, there would be all kinds of shit that we don't like. Giant ants with top hats dancing around. There isn't room for that shit!