December 2014 News
This is the December 201412ya edition of the Gwern.net newsletter; previous, November.
This is a collation of links and summary of major changes, overlapping with Changelog.
Thanks to my donors on Gratipay!
Writings
Nothing finished this month.
Media
Links
Genetics:
Everything Is Heritable:
“Genome-wide meta-analysis identifies six novel loci associated with habitual coffee consumption”, The Coffee and Caffeine Genetics Consortium et al 2014
“Results of a ‘GWAS Plus’: General Cognitive Ability Is Substantially Heritable and Massively Polygenic”, Kirkpatrick et al 2014
“Understanding the Genetics of Intelligence: Can Height Help? Can Corn Oil?”, Johnson 2010
“The impact of neighbourhood deprivation on adolescent violent criminality and substance misuse: A longitudinal, quasi-experimental study of the total Swedish population”, Sariaslan et al 2013
Politics/religion:
“Why the World Is Not Falling Apart: Never mind the headlines. We’ve never lived in such peaceful times.”, Pinker & Mack; “Good News You May Have Missed in 2014”, Gates
“Police, Paramilitaries, Nationalists and Gangsters: The Processes of State Building in Korea”, Porteux 2013
“Truncated transcript from today’s SCOTUS argument” (parody)
Statistics/AI/meta-science:
“Contradicted and Initially Stronger Effects in Highly Cited Clinical Research”, Ioannidis 2005
“A ‘Sham Procedure’ Leads to Disappointing Multiple Sclerosis News”
“What Went Wrong? Reflections on Science by Observation and The Bell Curve”, Glymour 199828ya (correlation & causation)
“Full publication of results initially presented in abstracts (Review)”, Scherer et al 200818ya (publication bias & incorrect papers)
“Effects of remote, retroactive intercessory prayer on outcomes in patients with bloodstream infection: randomized controlled trial”, Leibovici 200125ya (Norvig comments)
“On the distribution of time-to-proof of mathematical conjectures”, Hisano & Sornette 2012
Psychology/biology:
“Thank you for doing something ambiguously between smoking and not smoking”
“CBD in Colorado: Seeking a marijuana miracle [for children with severe epilepsy]” (“The question is not whether it is ethical to run a randomized trial, but whether it is ethical to not run a randomized trial”, I found myself thinking again and again in this sad and pitiable story of being fooled by randomness.)
“Morningness-eveningness and educational outcomes: The lark has an advantage over the owl at high school”, Preckel et al 2013
“What Do You Desire?” (on the porn company Kink.com)
“Suicide: An Economic Approach”, Becker & Posner 2004
“The Graying of Academia: Will It Reduce Scientific Productivity?”, Stroebe 2010
“Can Behavioral Tools Improve Online Student Outcomes? Experimental Evidence from a Massive Open Online Course”, Patterson 2014
“Direct Effect of Sunshine on Suicide”, Vyssoki et al 2014
“The future of teratology research is in vitro”, Bailey et al 2005
“Spaced Repetition and Mnemonics Enable Recall of Multiple Strong Passwords”, Blocki et al 2014
Technology:
“Human Performance”, 200818ya JASON
“Scholarly Context Not Found: One in Five Articles Suffers from Reference Rot”, Klein et al 2014
Economics:
“What Are Foundations For?” (principal-agent conflicts; against perpetuities)
“Should Psychological Neuroscience Research Be Funded?” (discussion)
“Smart companies try to commoditize their products’ complements.” (commoditize your complement)
“One Kind of Lawlessness: Estimating the Welfare Cost of Somali Piracy”
Philosophy:
“Bayesian Adjustment Does Not Defeat Existential Risk Charity” (“they strain at the gnat of the prior who swallow the camel of the likelihood”)
“Even More Aphorisms and Ten-Second Essays from Vectors 3.0”, James Richardson
Misc:
Books
Nonfiction:
Savage Continent: Europe in the Aftermath of World War II, Lowe (review)
Clear and Simple as the Truth: Writing Classic Prose, Thomas & Turner (review; online guide)
Fiction:
Ra, Sam Hughes (hard SF web serial)
Un Lun Dun, China Miéville (review)
Reject Hero, Farmerbob1 (About; superhero web serial, set in a Worm-like universe; somewhat unusual conservative middle-aged perspective as he negotiates his way into the deeper magical universe, culminating in a fun twist Jurassic Park ending with a sting; good fic but not great, and probably goes on too long)
Perseverance island: or, The Robinson Crusoe of the nineteenth century, by Douglas Frazer (review)
CVN73 USS George Washington (manga; review)
Music
Touhou:
“Sixth Movement Dawn of East End” (MORRIGAN feat. 三澤秋; Symphonic Tarantella “Lily” -Illusionary Waltz: Belladonna Lily- {M3-27}) [orchestral]
“Fifth Movement 9th moon / Pale Indigo Dream” (MORRIGAN feat. 三澤秋; Symphonic Tarantella “Lily” -Illusionary Waltz: Belladonna Lily- {M3-27}) [orchestral]
“The Black Eyes” (Swing Holic Band; SWING HOLIC VOL.9 {R9}) [jazz]
“NEMESIS” (Sanokan; SWING HOLIC VOL.9 {R9}) [brass]
“ON FIRE” (Maurits”禅”Cornelis feat. Vivienne; DANCE with WOLVES {C86}) [house]
“Fantasia Nightbug” (激戦の人 feat. 迷犬; Summer Festival {C86}) [Rock]
“Eternal Steam Engine” (Suzumu feat.Sae Tsukiyama; Summer Festival {C86}) [vocal]
“To the Limit” (あとぐる feat. Mai Kotoge; 悠啼 YU-NARI {C78}) [rock]
Doujin:
“Prelude (Instrumental)” (Treow; KOLLECTION+OI {201214ya}) [electronica]
“A Longing” (yuxuki waga; Evergreen {VM23}) [ambient]
Kantai Collection:
“ThroBBing (母港BGM)” (W*M; Splash! {C85}) [instrumental]
Vocaloid:
“Sunrise” (Miku; akayaka; KARENT presents Skylight Theater {Trans city}) [ambient]
“トウキョウトガリ” (Miku; Kobayashi Onyx; LOG {201016ya}) [electronic]
“サイハテ(ver,LOG)” (Miku; Kobayashi Onyx; LOG {201016ya}) [electronic]
“Moon Walker” (Gumi & Piko; KTG; FREEZE {201115ya}) [electronic]
“Welcome to the Future” (Miku; 青屋夏生; Welcome to the Future {201412ya}) [Jpop/trance]
“Light Falls” (Miku; yuxuki waga {201115ya}) [Jpop]
“ヒトリの誕生日” (Miku; ため; 7 Kilometer {VM28}) [Jpop]
“ルッキング・フォー・ザ・ヘヴン” (Yukari; カミウラ, カミウラレコーズ; Lavender and White Rose {201313ya}) [vocal]