Willy Pell

I remember Taleb saying somewhere in the distant past, when he was still exceptionally sane, something like "When you can do a few thing very well, you can afford a lot of mistakes". I came to appreciate this heavy-tailedness of positive payoffs only later. *Every single firm* I have worked at was dysfunctional, in the precise sense that goals that were part of their core mission were obviously, scandalously fumbled. Stuff like "let's start a business in , for which were are completely unsuited!" or "let's fix the risk department by doubling its size!" and so on. All of this, by executives who were also obviously very intelligent and well-intentioned. How can this be? Because they had a core at which they were among the top three in the world. Even when they ignored that core competency, it saved them over and over again.

LATEST: Horrifying video shows a group of teens on e-bikes surrounding and beating a man in his 60s in Hermosa Beach — leaving him unresponsive on the pavement. Witnesses say the victim was just walking home with a pizza. Hermosa Beach PD is urging anyone with info to come forward.

“Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.” ― Carl Sagan

It doesn't matter how much money you put into schools. Here's a cross-sectional overview. Per pupil spending and math scores.

You can ship a 40 foot container from Belgium to China for $50 and people think capitalism is failing.

A very frustrating part of the AI Wars has been the willingness by some to ignore experts in favour of listening to those who were telling them what they wanted to hear.

The “Third Man Syndrome” In moments of extreme danger, many climbers and explorers report sensing an unseen presence—a calm, guiding force that seems to encourage and lead them to safety. It feels like an invisible companion walking beside them, offering strength when all hope seems lost. Scientists call it Third Man Syndrome, a mysterious survival phenomenon where the mind creates a sense of company to help endure life-or-death situations. Photo ©: Purnima Shrestha.

So I’m basically raising my kids Amish. No tv no phones. Barely any toys with batteries. 6 yo is baseball obsessed. I allow him to watch the World Series. Immediately he sees ads for sex pills and a male stripper show called “the full Monty.” TV is a sewer.