Occam's razor is a problem-solving principle that suggests the simplest explanation for a phenomenon is usually the best one. Sherlock Holmes' principle seems (very) different: "When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth." (Wiki) Both principles rely on statistical probabilities. Quite often, the...
How-What-When-Where-Who-Why
Zero-sum games
I suppose that people would view a break-up (eg, agreement, businesses, divorce, friendship, relationship) as the result of someone who is winning and someone who is losing. However, some break-ups will either result in two winners or in two losers. Real-life is different from (a) game theory. Most games are designed to result in winners and losers - and having fun...
Stroomstoring Spanje
De eerste Spaanse verklaring was een mogelijke cyberaanval. Vervolgens kwam er nog een mogelijke verklaring: atmosferische storingen. De recente klasse-X (!!) zonnevlammen zijn trouwens nog niet genoemd (o.a. Space-2025). Tijdens het schrijven blijkt er wederom een mogelijke nieuwe oorzaak: tijdelijke uitval van zonneparken gedurende 1,5 seconde tot 5 seconden. In...
Price elasticity of non-US cars
Recently, Trump announced a 25% (import) tariff on foreign-made autos and light trucks. Trump expects this will result in over $100 billion of new annual tax revenues (eg, AP News, Nikkei, National Review). What about the impact of price elasticity on American demand? Currently, this tariff on cars is 2.5% on passenger vehicles, and 25% on pickup trucks (Nikkei...
The free world needs a new leader?
Recently, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (ie, Kaja Kallas) claimed that “The free world needs a new leader”, following Trump’s Oval Office clash with the Ukrainian president (eg, Independent). Perhaps, she referred to the EU as that new leader (Who). Her timing (When) is remarkable because Trump is old (b.1946) and in his second...
De tolerantie van intolerantie
In 1945 waarschuwde Karl Popper ons reeds voor de paradox van tolerantie in zijn boek The Open Society and its Enemies. Hij wordt “algemeen [] beschouwd als een van de grootste wetenschapsfilosofen van de 20e eeuw.” “Minder bekend [dan andere paradoxen] is de paradox van de tolerantie: onbeperkte tolerantie moet leiden tot het verdwijnen van...
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