Telescopic Turnip

Telescopic Turnip explores the unexpected intersections of science, culture, and theoretical perspectives, delving into how accidents drive discoveries, the complexities of evolution, societal norms, and personal biases. It juxtaposes scientific phenomena with everyday experiences, offering insights on a diverse array of topics from artificial sweeteners and sexual dimorphism to internet privacy and cultural evolution.

Science and Discovery Evolutionary Biology Cultural Analysis Technology and Society Mathematics and Statistics Ethics and Privacy Experimental Psychology Genetics and Genomics Economics and Consumerism Pop Culture and Media

The hottest Substack posts of Telescopic Turnip

And their main takeaways

Links from Winter 2023

0 implied HN points • 23 Mar 23
  1. Social scientists may not be better than simple methods at predicting social changes.
  2. AI can be tricked into recognizing knitted clothes as a giraffe.
  3. A 1966 paper by Richard Levins applies robust and fragile model concepts to sociology and world modeling.

The two-headed bacterium

0 implied HN points • 10 Aug 21
  1. Categories help us make sense of the world, but changing definitions can reveal new discoveries.
  2. Bacterial colonies function as multicellular organisms, exhibiting unique behaviors like 'bacterial sacrifice.'
  3. Bacterial cells can be viewed as pairs of individuals due to aging and division, challenging traditional notions of individuality.

Links from Winter 2022

0 implied HN points • 05 Apr 22
  1. Learn about technology through interactive web toys and engaging videos
  2. Explore genetic research on survey responses and evolution
  3. Discover unusual scientific hypotheses and music performances

Samples and sample of samples

0 implied HN points • 13 Aug 20
  1. The sample you have may not represent the true population due to observational bias.
  2. To calculate an unbiased average, consider using the harmonic mean for rates.
  3. Sampling bias occurs in various scenarios, like on Facebook, where your friends' friend count might appear higher than your own.