Cyan comments on Open Thread: July 2010 - Less Wrong

6 Post author: komponisto 01 July 2010 09:20PM

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Comment author: nhamann 01 July 2010 11:26:35PM 5 points [-]

This seems extremely pertinent for LW: a paper by Andrew Gelman and Cosma Shalizi. Abstract:

A substantial school in the philosophy of science identifies Bayesian inference with inductive inference and even rationality as such, and seems to be strengthened by the rise and practical success of Bayesian statistics. We argue that the most successful forms of Bayesian statistics do not actually support that particular philosophy but rather accord much better with sophisticated forms of hypothetico-deductivism. We examine the actual role played by prior distributions in Bayesian models, and the crucial aspects of model checking and model revision, which fall outside the scope of Bayesian confirmation theory. We draw on the literature on the consistency of Bayesian updating and also on our experience of applied work in social science.

I'm still reading it so I don't have anything to say about it, and I'm not very statistics-savvy so I doubt I'll have much to say about it after I read it, but I thought others here would find it an interesting read.

I stole this from a post by mjgeddes over in the OB open thread for July (Aside: mjgeddes, why all the hate? Where's the love, brotha?)

Comment author: Cyan 02 July 2010 02:56:38AM *  2 points [-]

mjgeddes, why all the hate?

ETA: Never mind. I got my crackpots confused.

Original text was:

mjgeddes was once publicly dissed by Eliezer Yudkowsky on OB (can't find the link now, but it was a pretty harsh display of contempt). Since then, he has often bashed Bayesian induction, presumably in an effort to undercut EY's world view and thereby hurt EY as badly as he himself was hurt.

Comment author: Douglas_Knight 02 July 2010 04:01:00AM 0 points [-]

You're probably not thinking of this On Geddes.

Comment author: Cyan 02 July 2010 02:39:19PM *  0 points [-]

No, not that. Geddes made a comment on OB about eating a meal with EY during which he made some well-meaning remark about EY becoming more like Geddes as EY grows older, and noticing an expression of contempt (if memory serves) on EY's face. EY's reply on OB made it clear that he had zero esteem for Geddes.

Comment author: Morendil 02 July 2010 03:14:55PM 3 points [-]

Nope, that was Jef Allbright.

Comment author: Cyan 02 July 2010 03:18:47PM *  0 points [-]

No wonder I couldn't find the link. Yeesh. One of these days I'll learn to notice when I'm confused.