SuperFreakonomics

Super-freakonomics (Stephen Dubner and Steven Levitt)

  • In 1818 the world seemly reached point where largest cities could not survive without the horse, but couldnt survive with it either… And then the problem vanished. Solved by technological innovation. (Lesson for climate change?)
  • Given the financial crises, one wonders if macro economics is the domain of any economist.
  • Deliberate practice 3 key components: setting specific goals, obtaining immediate feedback, and concentrating as much on technique as on outcome. (Rationality)
  • Ambulances used to be run by local mortuary. Its hard to tin of a better example of misaligned incentives.
  • People who buy annuities live longer than people who dont. Annuities steady payout provides extra incentive to keep chugging along. (Mental Models)
  • Ammonium nitrate (responsible for the population boom after the industrial revolution) an amazingly cheep and effective fertilizer. "Ammonium Nitrate feeds the world"
  • The movement to stop global warming has taken on the feel of a religion. The core belief that humankind inherited a pristine Eden, has sinned greatly by polluting it, and must now suffer lest we all perish in a fiery Apocalypse.
  • The problem with solar cells is that they are black. Need to be b/c they are designed to absorb light from the sun. One ~10% is turned into electricity, the rest is re-radiated as heat which contributes to global warming.
  • We've already engineered the earth. In a few centuries we have burned up most fossil fuel that took 3e8 years to make. Compared to that, injecting a bit of sulfur into the sky seems pretty mild. Sulfur isn't even the optimal chemical for stratospheric shield. Other materials Aluminum/plastics micro beads could be more efficient, but sulfur has proof of principle with volcanoes.
  • After 911 the sudden absence of contrails accounted for a rise in ground temperature of 1 degree C.
  • IF you believe that the scary global warming stories could be true, that you should also admit that relying only on reducing Carbon emissions is that a very good answer. It is illogical to believe in a C-induced warming apocalypse and that such an apocalypse can be averted simply by curtailing new C-emissions. The scary scenarios could occur even if we reduce emissions to 0, only real answer is geoengineering.
  • Doctors should be forbidden to wear neckties. they are rarely laundered, perform no beneficial function in patient care, and have been show to be colonized by pathogens.

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