Showing posts with label Science. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Science. Show all posts

Monday, September 30, 2013

All hail the projections!

Bigger image available here: http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/getimage.dll?path=ETM/2013/09/30/17/Img/Pc0170800.jpg

Today's economic times report has an article titled "How clouded is our financial forecasting?"
The picture above gives the GDP growth prediction according to RBI's survey of professional economists sitting in the same financial year and making a prediction of the GDP growth at the end of the current financial year.
The numbers are shocking! If this group can get it so wrong, how will analysts of equity research and other analysts work on their assumptions, which are further derived in some way or another on this data.

I think it is time to employ monkeys to predict data as they have amply demonstrated their skills in the monkey funds.
http://www.gizmodo.com.au/2013/04/monkeys-make-better-stock-market-traders-than-people-study/

Friday, December 24, 2010

Genetically engineered exterminations

I have wondered for long at times how to totally destroy some species like cockroaches or mosquitoes. At times and at some places, they are so enormous and they cost humans a lot (think about the dengue scare at the start of 2010 in Delhi).
One of the best strategies is to be implant a virus/disease in the species which spreads for a few months/years among the whole species across generations and then like a ticking time bomb goes off all on one very fine day. Entire affected species gone! Boom!
But unfortunately, the only problem is that all viruses/diseases harm/kill the victim after a cycle that starts when it enters the organism. So the universal "all in one boom" cant happen at a particular day as such.
Now, scientists have finally got half the solution of the perfect genocide.
Enter the GM mosquitoes!

Scientists have created infertile males which they will release in dengue affected areas. Females won’t produce offspring with these guys, even after mating with them. Studies have found that dengue-infected populations fell by 80%. The males are engineered to die off naturally, and females only mate within their species, so the GM traits are self-limiting.

Taking this one step further, the ideal solution is to have sexually transmitted infertility. Then we obtain Success. As this species is not monogamous, the infertility will spread and make the whole species infertile with no heirs whatsoever!
Welcome to the new age of genetically engineered totalitarian obliteration!

On the same lines, I just hope AIDS is not some kind of extermination planned by some aliens/external forces...

Monday, October 19, 2009