This is the December 2014 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:
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Everything Is Heritable:
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“Genome-wide meta-analysis identifies six novel loci associated with habitual coffee consumption”, The Coffee and Caffeine Genetics et al 2014
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“Results of a ‘GWAS Plus’: General Cognitive Ability Is Substantially Heritable and Massively Polygenic”, et al 2014
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“Understanding the Genetics of Intelligence: Can Height Help? Can Corn Oil?”, 2010
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Politics/religion:
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“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
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“Police, Paramilitaries, Nationalists and Gangsters: The Processes of State Building in Korea”, 2013
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“Truncated transcript from today’s SCOTUS argument” (parody)
Statistics/AI/meta-science:
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“Contradicted and Initially Stronger Effects in Highly Cited Clinical Research”, 2005
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“A ‘Sham Procedure’ Leads to Disappointing Multiple Sclerosis News”
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“What Went Wrong? Reflections on Science by Observation and The Bell Curve”, 1998 (correlation & causation)
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“Full publication of results initially presented in abstracts (Review)”, et al 2008 (publication bias & incorrect papers)
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“Effects of remote, retroactive intercessory prayer on outcomes in patients with bloodstream infection: randomized controlled trial”, 2001 (Norvig comments)
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“On the distribution of time-to-proof of mathematical conjectures”, 2012
Psychology/biology:
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“Thank you for doing something ambiguously between smoking and not smoking”
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“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.)
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“Morningness-eveningness and educational outcomes: The lark has an advantage over the owl at high school”, et al 2013
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“What Do You Desire?” (on the porn company Kink.com)
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“The Graying of Academia: Will It Reduce Scientific Productivity?”, 2010
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“Direct Effect of Sunshine on Suicide”, et al 2014
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“The future of teratology research is in vitro”, et al 2005
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“Spaced Repetition and Mnemonics Enable Recall of Multiple Strong Passwords”, et al 2014
Technology:
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“Human Performance”, 2008 JASON
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“Scholarly Context Not Found: One in Five Articles Suffers from Reference Rot”, et al 2014
Economics:
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“What Are Foundations For?” (principal-agent conflicts; against perpetuities)
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“Should Psychological Neuroscience Research Be Funded?” (discussion)
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“Smart companies try to commoditize their products’ complements.” (commoditize your complement)
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“One Kind of Lawlessness: Estimating the Welfare Cost of Somali Piracy”
Philosophy:
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“Bayesian Adjustment Does Not Defeat Existential Risk Charity” (“they strain at the gnat of the prior who swallow the camel of the likelihood”)
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“Even More Aphorisms and Ten-Second Essays from Vectors 3.0”, James Richardson
Misc:
Books
Nonfiction:
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Savage Continent: Europe in the Aftermath of World War II, Lowe (review)
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Clear and Simple as the Truth: Writing Classic Prose, Thomas & Turner (review; online guide)
Fiction:
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Ra, Sam Hughes (hard SF web serial)
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Un Lun Dun, China Miéville (review)
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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)
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Perseverance island: or, The Robinson Crusoe of the nineteenth century, by Douglas Frazer (review)
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CVN73 USS George Washington (manga; review)
Music
Touhou:
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“Sixth Movement Dawn of East End” (MORRIGAN feat. 三澤秋; Symphonic Tarantella “Lily” -Illusionary Waltz: Belladonna Lily- {M3-27}) [orchestral]
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“Fifth Movement 9th moon / Pale Indigo Dream” (MORRIGAN feat. 三澤秋; Symphonic Tarantella “Lily” -Illusionary Waltz: Belladonna Lily- {M3-27}) [orchestral]
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“The Black Eyes” (Swing Holic Band; SWING HOLIC VOL.9 {R9}) [jazz]
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“NEMESIS” (Sanokan; SWING HOLIC VOL.9 {R9}) [brass]
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“ON FIRE” (Maurits”禅”Cornelis feat. Vivienne; DANCE with WOLVES {C86}) [house]
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“Fantasia Nightbug” (激戦の人 feat. 迷犬; Summer Festival {C86}) [Rock]
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“Eternal Steam Engine” (Suzumu feat.Sae Tsukiyama; Summer Festival {C86}) [vocal]
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“To the Limit” (あとぐる feat. Mai Kotoge; 悠啼 YU-NARI {C78}) [rock]
Doujin:
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“Prelude (Instrumental)” (Treow; KOLLECTION+OI {2012}) [electronica]
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“A Longing” (yuxuki waga; Evergreen {VM23}) [ambient]
Kantai Collection:
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“ThroBBing (母港BGM)” (W*M; Splash! {C85}) [instrumental]
Vocaloid:
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“Sunrise” (Miku; akayaka; KARENT presents Skylight Theater {Trans city}) [ambient]
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“トウキョウトガリ” (Miku; Kobayashi Onyx; LOG {2010}) [electronic]
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“サイハテ(ver,LOG)” (Miku; Kobayashi Onyx; LOG {2010}) [electronic]
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“Moon Walker” (Gumi & Piko; KTG; FREEZE {2011}) [electronic]
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“Welcome to the Future” (Miku; 青屋夏生; Welcome to the Future {2014}) [Jpop/trance]
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“Light Falls” (Miku; yuxuki waga {2011}) [Jpop]
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“ヒトリの誕生日” (Miku; ため; 7 Kilometer {VM28}) [Jpop]
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“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 {2013}) [vocal]