Stochasticity

Radio Lab is one of my favorite radio shows/podcasts, and the recent episode "Stochasticity" is one of the better shows they've done in a while. They do a very good job of both capturing a sense of wonder and awe, while at the same time keeping you grounded in the real facts and real science. The story of the two British girls is pretty striking, and the treatment of "streaks" in athletic performance is quite solid, as well. It is not necessarily recommended if you cherish your mystical predispositions. But I believe in always looking at the world with our eyes fully open, and not with our prejudices. (As much as is humanly possible.)

Lastly, I am the only person that I know of who used the term "stochastic" in my "25 Random Things" note on Facebook, so it seems obligatory that I link to this episode...

Hold On Tight to Your Burgers, or At Least Chew Fast

William Saletan is on the case in the new "War On Junk Food". I'd like to point out that, while I was aiming at humor with Cheeseburger in Purgatory (and note that the pictured food in Saletan's article is a cheeseburer), my tone was light, but the substance was heavy. That is, I was really serious about the threat. Given their druthers, the nanny-staters will ban junk food, and the comparison to drugs will fuel the fire. At least some of the folks over at Reason are fairly sanguine about all this (Nick Gillespie, I believe, among them). Their point being that this will amount to overreach, i.e. people will revolt when they come for our cheeseburgers. I hope they are right, but I am personally a bit more antsy. In spite of ample evidence that marijuana is no worse than, and quite likely more benign than, alcohol, it remains banned and people are being locked up every day for possession. If evidence doesn't really matter, then even specious evidence, such as some of this speculation about "food addiction" can be a powerful weapon in the hands of the demagogues.