katydee comments on Generalizing from One Trend - Less Wrong

14 Post author: katydee 18 January 2013 01:21AM

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Comment author: katydee 18 January 2013 07:26:47AM 0 points [-]

I agree, but I think most pundits just take one thing, decide it's the most important, and project it. A lot of pundits probably do this explicitly because they have to push a certain political narrative while others fall into the "narrative forecasting" trap that Qiaochu_Yuan describes in this excellent comment.

Comment author: Eugine_Nier 18 January 2013 07:42:54AM 2 points [-]

Also because it's computationally difficult to figure out how multiple trends will interact.

Comment author: katydee 18 January 2013 10:02:17AM 1 point [-]

I honestly doubt most pundits even try to apply basic statistical methods to their assessments. Nate Silver strikes me as the exception, not the rule, and it's important to remember that he only acquired his current credibility after doing very well in predicting results for two US Presidential elections in a row.