Perambulations

Perambulations is a Substack focusing on the intersection of meta-science, technology, and healthcare. It explores themes like the evolution of scientific process, the impact of AI on work and creativity, nuanced discussions on gender and status, and reflections on personal and societal adaptability and ethics in a changing world.

Meta-Science Technology and AI Healthcare and Medicine Masculinity and Gender Roles Information Management Ethics and Morality Science and Research Innovation Personal Growth and Productivity

The hottest Substack posts of Perambulations

And their main takeaways

What's the effect of age on physician ability?

16 implied HN points • 15 Mar 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Aging
  1. Physician aging can impact patient outcomes, with evidence showing higher mortality rates when treated by older physicians compared to younger ones.
  2. Factors like patient volume and board certification may offset risks associated with older physicians.
  3. Cognitive decline with age can affect physician ability, but not all older physicians experience decline in patient outcomes.

Seeing like a system

3 implied HN points • 01 Mar 24
🔬 Science Systems Interdisciplinary Complexity Philosophy
  1. Systems often have hidden complexities that grow beyond their initial purpose, leading to unintended consequences.
  2. Systems can become rigid and resistant to change, focusing on perfecting past plans rather than adapting to new challenges.
  3. Understanding how systems function can help us critically analyze and navigate the systems we interact with in our daily lives.
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ChatGPT could be the key to unbundling science

19 implied HN points • 26 Jan 23
  1. Unbundling the research process in science can lead to specialization and proper credit for each contribution.
  2. ChatGPT has the potential to change the central role of journal articles in scientific knowledge production by commoditizing writing and code generation.
  3. Platforms are emerging to decouple knowledge creation from traditional journal articles, offering new ways for researchers to showcase their specific contributions.

Are superforecasters useful?

13 implied HN points • 04 Feb 23
  1. Superforecasters have unique cognitive habits that help them predict the future more accurately.
  2. Superforecasters update their predictions more frequently and with smaller changes, showing skill in reacting to new information.
  3. Superforecasters may not always outperform non-superforecasters on individual questions, but they can excel in creating reliable predictions across a tournament.

Butler, Bros, and Beyond

3 implied HN points • 06 Sep 23
🎭️ Culture Masculinity Gender Roles Science fiction Social norms
  1. Constructing a positive vision of masculinity with sci-fi can explore different gender roles and challenge societal expectations.
  2. A good vision of masculinity should focus on virtues like variance, but also consider how to implement them in the real world.
  3. Embracing a vision of masculinity that includes virtuous characteristics and the ability to navigate societal expectations can provide a meaningful path for many men.

Intracranial tectonics

3 implied HN points • 05 Jul 23
📚 Literature Writing Problem Solving Creative Process
  1. Some people believe that writing helps them reveal and correct deficiencies in their thinking process.
  2. The author finds it difficult to write and think simultaneously, preferring to have a structured idea before writing.
  3. Engaging in activities like playing video games can help the author's subconscious mind solve problems related to writing.

The hedgehog and the lobotomist

0 implied HN points • 25 May 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Mental health Research Science Innovation Education
  1. Megan McArdle highlights the complexity of Walter Freeman's character and his impact on patients despite his controversial procedures.
  2. Don't tie your fate solely to one project or idea to avoid potential downfall if it falls out of favor.
  3. Balancing the benefits and costs of being a 'hedgehog' - someone highly focused and persistent - is crucial for progress without blind spots.

Policy should be adaptive

0 implied HN points • 08 Mar 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Policy Behavior Public Policy Laws
  1. Policy should be designed to be adaptive and respond to changes in behavior to encourage better outcomes.
  2. Creating new equilibria through adaptive policies can lead to more sustainable changes in collective behavior rather than just individual actions.
  3. Adaptive policies, like those seen in traffic management or public health initiatives, can help promote common goals and shared norms to achieve lasting change in society.

A perambulator's theory of sports

0 implied HN points • 02 Mar 23
🎾 Sports Exploration Values Fairness Competition
  1. Geeks can engage with sports through predictive models and board games that share underlying rules with sports.
  2. Exploration and exploitation in games and sports represent competing perspectives, balancing information gathering and maximizing rewards.
  3. Sports culture can promote social values and fairness, and innovating sports to be more exploratory can attract new fans and diversify competition.

Links for Fall 2023

0 implied HN points • 20 Nov 23
🔬 Science Biology Data Health Chemistry Psychology
  1. Cats are evolutionarily perfect due to their extreme specialization for hunting.
  2. Data visualization can lead to cognitive errors and should be carefully considered.
  3. Polygenic risk scores have marginal benefits in disease screening and may not be effective for population-wide risk stratification.

Science under the bell jar

0 implied HN points • 16 Feb 23
🔬 Science AI Research Transparency Accountability
  1. The desire for purity and resistance to change are deeply human traits, influencing our evolution.
  2. Scientific journals are questioning the originality, accountability, and transparency of AI in research.
  3. Policies regarding AI use in research should be focused on scientific progress, not maintaining journal prestige.

Sketch of a new English orthography

0 implied HN points • 07 May 23
🕹 Technology Language Neural Networks Machine Learning Writing
  1. English spelling is complex due to its accumulation of bits and pieces of other languages.
  2. Efforts for English spelling reform have included developing custom scripts and simplified spelling movements.
  3. An ideal English writing system may balance phonetic fidelity with concision, embed emphasis information, address vowel complexity, and include characters for high-frequency sound combinations.