Comments on: When Smart People Have Stupid Ideas http://www.deeshaa.org/2007/08/10/levitt/ Mon, 13 Feb 2012 05:41:09 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: are they terrorists? a response to steven levitt « popcitizen http://www.deeshaa.org/2007/08/10/levitt/comment-page-1/#comment-131325 are they terrorists? a response to steven levitt « popcitizen Sun, 02 Nov 2008 12:52:34 +0000 http://www.deeshaa.org/2007/08/10/levitt/#comment-131325 [...] his second post about the topic, which responds to the storm of criticism (some reasoned, some not) generated by the first, Levitt says: “The fact that it has been six years since the [...] [...] his second post about the topic, which responds to the storm of criticism (some reasoned, some not) generated by the first, Levitt says: “The fact that it has been six years since the [...]

]]> By: rishi http://www.deeshaa.org/2007/08/10/levitt/comment-page-1/#comment-106796 rishi Sat, 01 Sep 2007 03:07:36 +0000 http://www.deeshaa.org/2007/08/10/levitt/#comment-106796 - Why do you not view this as a negative side effect of something that will eventually make our systems more robust? - Lets say there are X such ideas out there, I would guess it would be a largish number. Wouldn't it be wrong to assume that a terrorist couldn't come up with even one(on his own)? Because at the end of the day he just needs one. - Wouldn't it be wrong to say that we shoudlnt talk about defects openly because they are hard to fix or because they could give ideas to crack-pots? - How do you reconcile this belief of yours with advances in understanding of human genome or any other technology which can possibly have disastrous negative side effects? - Why do you not view this as a negative side effect of something that will eventually make our systems more robust?

- Lets say there are X such ideas out there, I would guess it would be a largish number. Wouldn’t it be wrong to assume that a terrorist couldn’t come up with even one(on his own)? Because at the end of the day he just needs one.

- Wouldn’t it be wrong to say that we shoudlnt talk about defects openly because they are hard to fix or because they could give ideas to crack-pots?

- How do you reconcile this belief of yours with advances in understanding of human genome or any other technology which can possibly have disastrous negative side effects?

]]> By: rishi http://www.deeshaa.org/2007/08/10/levitt/comment-page-1/#comment-106795 rishi Sat, 01 Sep 2007 03:06:34 +0000 http://www.deeshaa.org/2007/08/10/levitt/#comment-106795 - Why do you not view this as a negative side effect of something that will eventually make our systems more robust? - Lets say there are X such ideas out there, I would guess it would be a largish number. Wouldn't it be wrong to assume that a terrorist couldn't come up with even one(on his own)? Because at the end of the day he just needs one. - Wouldn't it be wrong to say that we shoudlnt talk about defects openly because they are hard to fix or because they could give ideas to crack-pots? - How do you reconcile this belief of yours with advances in understanding the human genome or any other technology which can possibly have disastrous negative side effects? - Why do you not view this as a negative side effect of something that will eventually make our systems more robust?

- Lets say there are X such ideas out there, I would guess it would be a largish number. Wouldn’t it be wrong to assume that a terrorist couldn’t come up with even one(on his own)? Because at the end of the day he just needs one.

- Wouldn’t it be wrong to say that we shoudlnt talk about defects openly because they are hard to fix or because they could give ideas to crack-pots?

- How do you reconcile this belief of yours with advances in understanding the human genome or any other technology which can possibly have disastrous negative side effects?

]]> By: PC http://www.deeshaa.org/2007/08/10/levitt/comment-page-1/#comment-106665 PC Mon, 27 Aug 2007 12:31:24 +0000 http://www.deeshaa.org/2007/08/10/levitt/#comment-106665 Hi Atanu, I tend to agree with Levitt's methods because transperency is always the best way to deal with these things. What is the alternative? Closed door focus groups? How will those help you or me to save ourselves if need be someday. You are thinking only in terms of the state providing security. Think more in terms of all of us getting a chance to do a little bit to make ourselves a little more safe. Maybe the blog will give me an adequate warning that i didn't have before. Maybe i will revise my probabilities. for eg. if the hit to cost ratio for gas attacks is very high, i may start carrying a gas-mask, the way i carry a laptop bag. Hi Atanu,

I tend to agree with Levitt’s methods because transperency is always the best way to deal with these things.
What is the alternative? Closed door focus groups? How will those help you or me to save ourselves if need be someday. You are thinking only in terms of the state providing security. Think more in terms of all of us getting a chance to do a little bit to make ourselves a little more safe.

Maybe the blog will give me an adequate warning that i didn’t have before. Maybe i will revise my probabilities. for eg. if the hit to cost ratio for gas attacks is very high, i may start carrying a gas-mask, the way i carry a laptop bag.

]]> By: vj http://www.deeshaa.org/2007/08/10/levitt/comment-page-1/#comment-106479 vj Mon, 20 Aug 2007 10:03:37 +0000 http://www.deeshaa.org/2007/08/10/levitt/#comment-106479 I am wondering he is trying to prove one of his theories he proposes the Freakonomics book. Tts been some time since I read it, but in the book there is a chapter about a guy who is the KKK who publish or talk on radio about the KKK's dark secrets. As a result over a period the people loose interest in the ultra secretive klan. I guess Levitts want some insider to revel the plans! I know its naive at best, may be it will work!!;) I am wondering he is trying to prove one of his theories he proposes the Freakonomics book.
Tts been some time since I read it, but in the book there is a chapter about a guy who is the KKK who publish or talk on radio about the KKK’s dark secrets. As a result over a period the people loose interest in the ultra secretive klan.
I guess Levitts want some insider to revel the plans!
I know its naive at best, may be it will work!!;)

]]> By: shadows http://www.deeshaa.org/2007/08/10/levitt/comment-page-1/#comment-106340 shadows Thu, 16 Aug 2007 15:33:38 +0000 http://www.deeshaa.org/2007/08/10/levitt/#comment-106340 Atanu, If not NY Times, then Jang and other Paki newspapers will ask for ideas. And they will surely get a lot more responses than NY Times :) If 1% of the muslims in the world are terrorist-minded and they share ideas.... Atanu,

If not NY Times, then Jang and other Paki newspapers will ask for ideas. And they will surely get a lot more responses than NY Times :)

If 1% of the muslims in the world are terrorist-minded and they share ideas….

]]> By: shiv http://www.deeshaa.org/2007/08/10/levitt/comment-page-1/#comment-106225 shiv Tue, 14 Aug 2007 07:46:18 +0000 http://www.deeshaa.org/2007/08/10/levitt/#comment-106225 Terrorism is a well researched and practiced concept. What is your police force and the army ? State terrorism's bunsiness end ! You kill one man and you are a murderer, you bomb a thousand you are a hero. Thus works human society. What you gentelmen are against is someone encroching on the state's monopoly on terror.An easy abstraction will be to imagine a US marine in Iraq. Who is the terrorist, the marine or the Iraqi who sets off the roadside bomb ? You can transplant the same logic to Kashmir and suddenly the roles are reversed (at least to most indians) ! In a way you will have to learn to live with this as this seems to be the darwinian way of limiting our population. After all we are the apex predator and have to evolve mechanism's to keep natural selection going. In this context Levit does not seem so foolish after all. He is probably expressing the gene that controls our poplutation. Maybe that is a meme and not a gene. Terrorism is a well researched and practiced concept. What is your police force and the army ? State terrorism’s bunsiness end ! You kill one man and you are a murderer, you bomb a thousand you are a hero. Thus works human society. What you gentelmen are against is someone encroching on the state’s monopoly on terror.An easy abstraction will be to imagine a US marine in Iraq. Who is the terrorist, the marine or the Iraqi who sets off the roadside bomb ? You can transplant the same logic to Kashmir and suddenly the roles are reversed (at least to most indians) ! In a way you will have to learn to live with this as this seems to be the darwinian way of limiting our population. After all we are the apex predator and have to evolve mechanism’s to keep natural selection going. In this context Levit does not seem so foolish after all. He is probably expressing the gene that controls our poplutation. Maybe that is a meme and not a gene.

]]> By: little Ram http://www.deeshaa.org/2007/08/10/levitt/comment-page-1/#comment-106206 little Ram Mon, 13 Aug 2007 06:15:16 +0000 http://www.deeshaa.org/2007/08/10/levitt/#comment-106206 I am amazed that Levitt could have reached the conclusions he did I am amazed that Levitt could have reached the conclusions he did

]]> By: Amit Kulkarni http://www.deeshaa.org/2007/08/10/levitt/comment-page-1/#comment-106076 Amit Kulkarni Fri, 10 Aug 2007 18:38:08 +0000 http://www.deeshaa.org/2007/08/10/levitt/#comment-106076 I am reacting to your education posts. Do you remember the story of how Lord Ganesh and Lord Karthikeya were each told by Lord Shiva (or was it Goddess Parvati?) to circumnavigate the world. Well, Lord Karthikeya physically visited the world in his peacock chariot while Ganesh merely circled once around his parents. My question to you, can you do critical self-analysis and figure out what you are advocating wrong, much like Lord Karthikeya was doing in a very roundabout and literal way? Remember: We just need food, water, air, and shelter and a few things to occupy us and pass the time, nothing else is really needed. I am reacting to your education posts.

Do you remember the story of how Lord Ganesh and Lord Karthikeya were each told by Lord Shiva (or was it Goddess Parvati?) to circumnavigate the world.

Well, Lord Karthikeya physically visited the world in his peacock chariot while Ganesh merely circled once around his parents.

My question to you, can you do critical self-analysis and figure out what you are advocating wrong, much like Lord Karthikeya was doing in a very roundabout and literal way?

Remember:
We just need food, water, air, and shelter and a few things to occupy us and pass the time, nothing else is really needed.

]]> By: He Thinks - He Thinks Therefore He Is « YAB http://www.deeshaa.org/2007/08/10/levitt/comment-page-1/#comment-106059 He Thinks - He Thinks Therefore He Is « YAB Fri, 10 Aug 2007 14:20:11 +0000 http://www.deeshaa.org/2007/08/10/levitt/#comment-106059 [...] terest me. Now, this guy has come up with how terrorism could be executed simply. Atanu is not happy about this. He makes some very fine points: The fact is that one does not have to be stupid t [...] [...] terest me. Now, this guy has come up with how terrorism could be executed simply. Atanu is not happy about this. He makes some very fine points: The fact is that one does not have to be stupid t [...]

]]> By: Michael http://www.deeshaa.org/2007/08/10/levitt/comment-page-1/#comment-106058 Michael Fri, 10 Aug 2007 14:07:39 +0000 http://www.deeshaa.org/2007/08/10/levitt/#comment-106058 It is a stupid idea not only to collect the knowledge and make it accessible at zero cost but also to persuade people to think along such lines. And I think what you said - it is relatively cheap to inflict harm but to prevent which would be prohibitively expensive - invalidates his central point of posting his insane idea. -Mike It is a stupid idea not only to collect the knowledge and make it accessible at zero cost but also to persuade people to think along such lines.

And I think what you said – it is relatively cheap to inflict harm but to prevent which would be prohibitively expensive – invalidates his central point of posting his insane idea.

-Mike

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