Yet the task may not be impossible. Just as currents in the Escher-like ocean can be deciphered from their shadows on its boundary, perhaps theorists can read the inflationary story from its final cosmic scene. In recent years, Baumann and other physicists have sought to do just that with a strategy called bootstrapping. Cosmic bootstrappers… Continue reading Laws of Logic Lead to New Restrictions on the Big Bang
How Are the Kids Doing? The Well-Being of Children and the Nation’s Potential
The pandemic has forced concerns about children’s health to the front and center: Is enough attention being paid to their well-being, including education and mental health? Have reopening plans taken children’s needs into consideration and have their potential losses been adequately measured? Could better preparation be put in place to help prepare children for the… Continue reading How Are the Kids Doing? The Well-Being of Children and the Nation’s Potential
GDP Misses As US Economy Grows Only 2% In Q3, Weakest Growth Since Covid Struck
With the Atlanta Fed cutting its GDPNow estimate to just 0.2% yesterday… … there were big worries that today the BEA could reveal a shocker of a number, one far below the rapidly falling consensus estimate of 2.6%. Well, the Q3 GDP number just came out and it was bad, but not nearly as bad… Continue reading GDP Misses As US Economy Grows Only 2% In Q3, Weakest Growth Since Covid Struck
What Is A Sovereign Wealth Fund and How Do They Work?
Sovereign wealth funds (SWFs) are key players in today’s financial markets. These state-controlled entities are means through which nations make investments, by squirrelling away excess revenues. They are mostly based in emerging markets and are meant to provide long term economic stimulus or bring stability to the finances of a government. But despite sharing… Continue reading What Is A Sovereign Wealth Fund and How Do They Work?
The Necessity of Prayer – St. Alphonsus Liguori
One of the errors of Pelagianism was the assertion that prayer is not necessary for salvation. Pelagius, the impious author of that heresy, said that man will only be damned for neglecting to know the truths necessary to be learned. How astonishing! St. Augustine said: “Pelagius discussed everything except how to pray,” though, as the… Continue reading The Necessity of Prayer – St. Alphonsus Liguori
“Could a quantum computer have subjective experience?” by Scott Aaronson — Mostly Physics
People who are into physics and follow blogs actively have surely ran into MIT physicist Scott Aaronson, probably most well known for his critiques of the alleged D-Wave quantum computer. More recently, Scott has been writing a lot about consciousness, but his latest post – prepared talk notes from the Quantum Foundations of a Classical Universe meeting – is a… Continue reading “Could a quantum computer have subjective experience?” by Scott Aaronson — Mostly Physics
Nuclear Deterrence, COVID-19 and Infant Deaths, Criminal Justice Reform: RAND Weekly Recap
This week, we discuss what the United States can do to counter the potential threat of new Chinese missiles; the pandemic and rising infant deaths in Nigeria; COVID-19 era lessons for criminal justice reform; how investments in data could help prevent veteran suicide; protecting older adults from financial scams; and the emerging American mindset on… Continue reading Nuclear Deterrence, COVID-19 and Infant Deaths, Criminal Justice Reform: RAND Weekly Recap
The Global Supply Shock Is About To Enter A Negative Feedback Loop With Weakening Demand
We’ve been writing about the evolving global supply shock for some time (most recently today when we addressed what may be required to normalize the supply chain bottlenecks). And yet, every day we read about another dramatic commodity spike or factory shutdown. In a recent report from Deutsche Bank’s chief FX strategist George Saravelos, he… Continue reading The Global Supply Shock Is About To Enter A Negative Feedback Loop With Weakening Demand
Superhero Guardian Angels, Ark of the Covenant, Judas in Hell & More Weird Questions
Podcast: Download MYS178: It’s a fifth Friday so Cy Kellett of Catholic Answers Live is asking Jimmy Akin more weird questions from listeners, including what guardian angels would do for superheroes; where the Ark of the Covenant is; whether Judas is in Hell; are there pizza rolls in heaven, what role Neanderthals played in Creation;… Continue reading Superhero Guardian Angels, Ark of the Covenant, Judas in Hell & More Weird Questions
The US Residential Real Estate Market Lost a Few Whales
If you follow the US real estate market at all, you’ve probably heard about these “iBuyer” (instant buyer) programs started by some of the large real estate data companies like Zillow and Opendoor. The idea is that these firms hire really smart quantitative researchers who can create real estate pricing models that can accurately… Continue reading The US Residential Real Estate Market Lost a Few Whales