orthonormal comments on New Year's Predictions Thread (2011) - Less Wrong

10 Post author: Kevin 02 January 2011 09:58AM

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Comment author: Costanza 02 January 2011 05:00:22PM *  5 points [-]

As noted by Keynes, markets can remain irrational a lot longer than you and I can remain solvent. However, I'd say about 80% for each of the following:

The price of gold will fall in real terms. [ETA one year on -- Wrong. Fell a bit towards the end of the year, but still a net rise.]

The price of U.S. housing will fall in real terms. [ETA one year on -- numbers still seem to be being crunched, or at least I can't find anything very recent I'd regard as reliable.]

The rate of inflation of U.S. dollars will rise. [ETA one year on -- I think I got this one right. Subject to updating with better data in the near future.]

There will be much more discussion in the general media of a "higher education bubble." Not sure how to measure this.

@JoshuaZ, the number of servicemembers leaving due to DADT repeal will not be measured. The goverment won't ask, and won't tell. [ETA one year on -- I think I got this one right, for what it's worth. As I understand it, the U.S. military is on a path toward shrinking in general anyway.]

And finally -- not necessarily a prediction for this year -- things that can't go on forever won't. 100%

Comment author: orthonormal 07 January 2012 11:33:43PM 0 points [-]

I'd mention that it's much better to reply to your predictions a year on than to edit them, but then I remembered who I'm talking to.