A Bump in Cost...

 John Baez on "the social cost of greenhouse gases":

https://johncarlosbaez.wordpress.com/2021/02/27/the-social-cost-of-greenhouse-gases/

New Math Podcast

 A new math podcast ("On the Mathematical Frontline") from "plus Magazine":

https://plus.maths.org/content/mathematical-frontline-julia-gog

Concerns of Statisticians

“…it’s kind of embarrassing that statisticians are always getting on everybody else’s case for not using random sampling, controlled experimentation, and reliable and valid measurements—but then we don’t use these tools in our own decision making.”    -- Andrew Gelman      

...from this post on the use of statistics in physics, medicine, social science… and, statistics:

https://statmodeling.stat.columbia.edu/2021/02/21/statisticians-dont-use-statistical-evidence-to-decide-what-statistical-methods-to-use-also-the-way-of-the-physicist/

Music Interlude....

 Been another rough week for a lot of U.S. folks (assuming you weren't able to make it to Cancun for a few days of sun-soaked joy), so just a little music to close out the week....

Manifold Primer

 Nice introduction to manifolds (~50 mins.):

Waiting to Turn a Corner on Covid-19

 I've said before that it wouldn't surprise me if covid case rates spiked upward after a couple of months of vaccinations because of the increased reckless behavior exhibited by large numbers of people, among other reasons. And in this piece Kaiser Fung covers several of the reasons why people can (and will) still get infected by covid-19 following vaccination:

https://junkcharts.typepad.com/numbersruleyourworld/2021/02/eight-reasons-why-someone-can-still-get-infected-after-vaccination.html

It may take many months for the full benefit of vaccination programs to begin to appear (and that assumes the efficacy rate is anywhere near what's been touted). People need to remain vigilant and patient... and not be swayed by denialists' focus on every case of infection following vaccination.

Whoa!! (...Terms of Derangement)

 Just a li'l obvious numerology for today.... Have QAnon followers yet realized that "Nostradamus," "impeachment," "Donald Trump," "Dead in March," "Ides of March," and even "Nancy Pelosi" ALL contain 11 letters (...no mere coincidence). "Eleven" itself has 6 letters and is the atomic number of "sodium," also with 6 letters... and when 6 is multiplied by 11 (a prime number by the way, IF you know what I mean!) it yields 66, a precursor clearly to 666, sign of the beast! So beware March 15, the very day, incredibly, that H.P.  Lovecraft (yet also 11 letters) passed from this planet, and when the Orange Julius may too thus face resurrection! Tremble if you must, and certainly stay tuned... the numbers can't lie (psssst... "Eric Swalwell" extends to 12 letters, OMG!), nor shall the lamb and the lion ever lie down together in this century (and despite misguided wishes, the answer my friend AIN'T blowin' in the friggin' wind). QAnon speaketh, for all who will but listen reverently and take appropriate action. Those who comprehend need no more explanation, and those who do not comprehend... well, misquoth the Raven, never shall.  Let the liberal sheeple succumb to their hoax vaccines, while QAnoners resist all such stochastic mind-control attempts and take back control ("Don't tread on ye"). Covid, schmovid!!

In the meantime I leave you with this bit of carefully-coded message, easily translatable by all those in-the-know:

Where the Hell, indeed....

A Little Bedtime (or whenever) Reading....

 A new issue of the Journal of Humanistic Mathematics is out with lots of varied articles (PDFs):

https://scholarship.claremont.edu/jhm/vol11/iss1/

Coffee Harangue....

 

(from Wikipedia)

 As if there aren't enough things to be bugged about in the world these days, here's another thing I've been grousing about for awhile (does it bug anyone else?):

I drink a fair amount of coffee, and enjoy trying out lots of cheap brands always in the (futile) hope of finding a cheapie I really, really like. Anyways, here’s the part that bugs me… almost always the container recommends using “1 to 2 tbsp. of coffee per 6 oz. of water.” First of all, “1 to 2” tbsp. is a big, 100% difference… even granting variability among consumers can’t they come up with a more precise statement (and then simply say add more or less according to personal taste). But the bigger problem is where the heck does 6 oz. come from??? A standard “cup” is 8 fluid oz. so why isn’t THAT the standard for directions? Anybody have a clue? Moreover, the question is (at least in America) does anyone even drink a “cup” of coffee anymore… most coffee mugs hold more than a standard “cup”…. checking out some of my mugs at home I found they generally held between 10 and 12 oz. of liquid, so hey, instruction-writers come on catch up to reality! (...or maybe I've just had a wee bit toooo much caffeine this morning).

Carry on… (i.e., go back to being concerned about covid, climate change, creeping fascism, and Redditors gaming Wall Street).

Of Fallacies and Paradoxes (...and sums)

 One statistician's "top 10 fallacies and paradoxes in statistics" (read the entire thread, and/or look up further info on Wikipedia):

https://twitter.com/MaartenvSmeden/status/1356147552362639366

....and for your bit of humor to start the day (or, whenever you read this):

https://twitter.com/Thalesdisciple/status/1356455290342764544

Polymath Progress...

 From Gil Kalai, a nice quickie synopsis of the "Polymath Project" from beginnings with Tim Gowers to this year, here:

https://gilkalai.wordpress.com/2021/01/29/possible-future-polymath-projects-2009-2021/