Can humans learn chimpspeak?
“Very few researchers have asked whether humans can learn to communicate like another animal,” says Dr Laurie Santos, director of the Primate Cognition Lab at Yale University.
“Most of the research on animal communication consists of mostly failed attempts to see if animals can use human language. Researchers spent decades and lost many fingers trying to teach chimpanzees to speak, manually moulding their mouths into the right positions. So this is a neat twist on an old question.”
Here is the full story. I’ll predict that humans are not very good at communicating with animals in this manner, for many of the same reasons that animals cannot speak English very well.
Why is Western Europe so secular?
If you have lived abroad, it is obvious that the United States is very religious for a wealthy country. Here are some explanations why:
One theory involves the different histories of religious marketing over the last two centuries. Because religion has a long history of state sponsorship in Europe, religious bodies there have perhaps grown lazy. State-supported congregations need not aggressively recruit parishioners to “stay in business.” In the United States, however, religions must support themselves and therefore are more aggressive “marketers,” going to much greater lengths to attract congregants than their European counterparts. In other words, American religious organizations spend a great deal of time and energy advertising, and their advertising nets results (Stark and Finke 2000).
A second theory involves the ethnic, racial, immigrant, and national diversity that typifies American society. Unlike certain European nations that are made up of relatively homogenous populations (Iceland, for instance), the United States is permeated by an enormous array of different cultural groups, whose members may find solidarity and community in religious involvement (Warner and Wittner 1998; Herberg 1955). For example, W.E.B. Du Bois, the first American sociologist of religion, observed the unparalleled importance of the church to black Americans, noting that, beyond promulgating theology, the black churches provided a social space and communal refuge in an often hostile world (Zuckerman 2002). In sum, it is possible that a significant level of ethnic/ cultural/racial heterogeneity, as typified by American society, spurs greater religious participation as people seek a sense of belonging or communal support.
A third consideration involves the possible impact of different social welfare systems. Perhaps when the government takes a greater role in providing social services, religion wanes, and when the government fails to provide extensive social services, religion thrives. For instance, religious belief and participation is the absolute lowest level in Scandinavia, whose countries are characterized by generous social support and extensive welfare systems. In contrast, the United States government offers far fewer social services and welfare programs than any European nation.
A fourth possibility may have to do with differing elementary and secondary educational systems. Perhaps the Europeans have done a better job of conveying rational thinking, scientific methodology, and skeptical inquiry to their children than have American educators.
Here is the full story.
My take: I don’t believe the fourth possibility of greater rationality. A big chunk of Germany, for instance, thinks that 9/11 was an American conspiracy. The first three all ring true. I would add that America is a more rural country with lower population density. This encourages religion over urban entertainments. Furthermore the European churches are identified with aristocratic landholding, taxation, and state privileges. That being said, I do not expect the low religiosity of Western Europe to last. Europe has gone through waves of greater and lesser secularization. Furthermore people may be biologically programmed to believe in myths and religions. The real puzzle is why religious suppliers have been so slow to offer products that suit the new European mentalities.
It’s a mad, mad, mad, mad cow world
The market is often accused of under-providing safety. Consider, however, that the Department of Agriculture is refusing to let a Kansas beef producer test its cattle for mad cow disease. Yes, you read that right. The producer, Creekstone Farms, is losing $40,000 a day because it exports its beef to Japan where such tests are required. The testing of individual cattle, however, runs contrary to the DOA/industry message that American beef is perfectly safe without expensive testing.
The mad cow case is a clear example of regulatory capture. By the way, the DOA aquired its power to decide minimum and maximum testing standards test under the Virus Serum Toxin Act of 1913 – it was captured a long time ago.
Don’t be surprised if the DOA requires such testing in the near future. I am reminded of the similar folic acid story that I wrote about with Dan Klein at FDAReview.org:
In 1992, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended that women of childbearing age take folic acid supplements. Studies showed that taking folic acid reduced risks of babies suffering neural-tube birth defects such as anencephaly and spina bifida. The FDA immediately announced, however, that it would prosecute any food or vitamin manufacturer that placed the CDC recommendation in its advertising or product labeling (Calfee 1997). The public did not learn of the importance of folic acid until Congress passed the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994, which loosened the FDA’s vise on the advertising of vitamins and other dietary supplements. Within only a few years of its ban on publicizing the CDC recommendation, the FDA made a complete turnabout. Since 1998, the agency has required manufacturers to fortify a variety of grain products with folic acid–that which is not prohibited is mandatory.
The ten oddest American taxes
Here is number one:
At least 11 states, including Alabama, North Carolina and Nevada, tax people who possess illegal drugs. Usually, though, you have to be in possession of a minimum quantity (for example, over 42.5 grams of marijuana in North Carolina) to be subject to the tax.
But no need to wait for the police to cuff you before you cough up the cash. In North Carolina, for instance, when you acquire an illegal drug (or even “moonshine”), you can go to the Department of Revenue and pay your tax, in exchange for which you’ll receive stamps to affix to your illegal substance. The stamps serve as evidence you paid the tax on the illegal product.
Don’t worry that you might get in trouble for admitting you have enough drugs to fuel a rave party for years. You needn’t provide any identification to get the stamps and it’s illegal for revenue employees to rat you out.
Still, according to North Carolina’s department charged with collecting the unauthorized substance tax, only 77 folks have voluntarily come forward since 1990. Most of them are thought to be stamp collectors. (Or perhaps they were just high?)
The majority of the $78.3 million the state has collected thus far has come from those who got busted and were found without stamps.
But even if they had had stamps, it’s not like their legal troubles would be over. “Purchasing stamps only fulfills your civil unauthorized substance tax obligation,” according to the N.C. DOR Web site.
Here is the full story and list.
China fact of the day, once more
In Beijing, dogs are not allowed outside in the daytime; those caught outdoors are confiscated and killed. They are not allowed in parks, on grass or on elevators – even when elderly owners live on the 14th floor. They may not grow taller than knee-high, on pain of death. And licenses are expensive.
The predictable result: many dogs never go outside. Thousands are confiscated each year for being in the wrong place at the wrong time, or growing a little too big. In the back alleys, where the police can’t drive, families flout the law and play with their pets outside during the day. In fancier parts of town or near any major street, nobody dares.
Now The New York Times goes out on a limb:
Many dog owners are seething, even as their pets suffer…Matters like this, as much as censorship of the press and the jailing of dissidents, may determine the fate of the Communist Party.
Here is an article on new dog regulations in China. The yearly registration fee used to start at $600 for the first year, now it is $121, read here. Here is a Chinese “man bites dog” story (seriously). Here is an article on dog deregulation in southern China.
DDT
Mainstream media is finally getting the message about DDT. Tina Rosenberg, writing in the New York Times Magazine, puts it well:
DDT killed bald eagles because of its persistence in the environment. ‘Silent Spring’ is now killing African children because of its persistence in the public mind.
I’m delighted to see the Rosenberg piece, even if everyone I know has understood this issue for years.
Daniel Drezner describes my weekend
Read his witty and salacious account of a conference on Steven Pinker, attended by some of the major bloggers, including Alex. What I found most interesting was the following. The fellow bloggers (who in general had not previously met) had more to say to each other, even when the topic was not blogging. If you read (and write) blogs, you probably have different ideas what the cutting edge questions are, compared to your blog-ignorant friends.
The ten dirty secrets of classical music
Check them out. I’ll disagree with 2, 5, 8, and 9. Nonetheless the list is a useful corrective designed to jolt your thinking. I’ll add that Benjamin Britten, and indeed most other British composers besides Elgar, is simply boring. Thanks to Marc Poitras for the pointer.
New punishment for speeders
In a move unprecedented in the Bay Area, the city’s traffic engineers have created a traffic signal with attitude. It senses when a speeder is approaching and metes out swift punishment.
It doesn’t write a ticket. It immediately turns from green to yellow to red.
Here is the full story, thanks to the ever-vigilant Geekpress.com.
My take: This will succeed in reducing speeding. By making the decision calculus more uni-dimensional (time vs. time, rather than time vs. speeding ticket), individiuals are more likely to see the folly of driving at unsafe speeds.
Here is a general introduction to framing effects. Here is a short article about framing effects in Alice in Wonderland. Here is Daniel Davies on how framing effects matter.
But what about civil liberties? One commentator opined: “It’s depriving you of another one of your liberties — going fast”.
Addendum: Tim Worstall writes in:
“The anti speeder traffic light ?
Been around for years.
Here in Portugal they’re all over the place.
And they work very well, just as advertised.”
Proposition 13, anyone?
Every year I get hit by a big increase in my property taxes. I pay more and get nothing in return. I am reminded by Willy Sutton’s adage that he robs banks because “that is where the money is.” Why should local governments have more money to spend, simply because our homes are more valuable? Why should real estate appraisers have so much power over our pocketbooks?
Apparently many taxpayers feel the same way I do:
More than half the states are considering new property-tax limits or cuts, says David Brunori, an expert on state and local taxes.
States are more likely to tinker with the property tax, rather than overhaul it, he says. But the unrest may signal the start of the most extensive attack on property taxes since 1978. That’s when California voters approved Proposition 13, which capped property taxes and started a nationwide tax revolt.
“Something has to be done or there’s going to be a revolution,” says Deloria Bucknell, 86, who pays $1,200 a year on her trailer home in Topsham, Maine.
Voters in Maine and Washington are expected to vote later this year on citizen-initiated measures that would slash property taxes 20% to 50%. Elsewhere, state legislatures are considering cutting rates, adding to exemptions and limiting how much assessments can rise.
Behind the discontent: higher property values.
Property-tax collections have risen an average of 5.7% annually over the past five years to a record $297 billion nationally in 2003, according to the Census Bureau. Higher home values, rate hikes and new construction caused the increase that is about twice the rate of all other state and local taxes.
Here is the full story. Here is a related account about how the taxes are scaring off would-be homeowners. Read the attached graph on property taxes as a percentage of income; in Maine and New Hampshire the figure hits a high of 4.9 percent. Alabama is lowest with 1.3 percent.
That all being said, Proposition 13 did not work out very well for the state of California. For all their vices, property taxes are a relatively decentralized source of government support. If you don’t like how the money is spent, you can move. Replacing local property taxes by state taxes ended up gutting California schools, without saving taxpayers much money in the longer run. Stay tuned…
Markets in everything – restaurant edition
It’s surprisingly easy and cheap to bribe you way into some of the best restaurants in the United States. Thanks to Kottke.org for the link.
Thanks Craig!
We thank Craig Newmark for doing a great job as a guest blogger – despite the fact that he promoted our competition and received better fan posts than Tyler and I ever have!
Education in Finland, recipe for success?
Consider the following facts:
1. Finnish children do not start school until they are seven years old. Most Finnish children do start day care from about the age of one, given that most mothers work.
2. Educational spending is a very modest $5,000 per student per year.
3. There are few if any programs for gifted children.
4. Class sizes often approach 30.
5. “Finland topped a respected international [educational] survey last year, coming in first in literacy and placing in the top five in math and science.”
6. Finnish teachers all have a Master’s degree or more.
7. Finnish teachers all enjoy a very high social status.
8. Reading to children, telling them folk tales, and going to the library are all high status activities.
9. TV programs are often in English, and subtitled, which further supports reading skills. (This should also serve as a jab to those who complain about the global spread of American TV shows.)
Here is the full story from The New York Times. Here is a general overview of the Finnish educational system, here is another. Here is a summary of the OECD study, with additional rankings and instructions on how to get a complete copy. Here is a story on Finnish economic competitiveness.
My take: The United States performs remarkably well when it harnesses status and approbational incentives in the right direction. We have done this for business entrepreneurship, but we are not close when it comes to education. When it comes to economics, we have to move away from our near-exclusive emphasis on monetary incentives.
China fact of the day
I remain disappointed by how our media underreport the news from China. Here is one possibly major development:
China will kick off reform of its publishing system by transforming the country’s publishing houses from public service institutions into business-oriented enterprises, an official from the Regulations Bureau of China’s Press and Publication Administration (CPPA), who wished to remain anonymous, told Interfax in an interview.
All publishing houses in China, except for the People’s Publishing House, will undergo this reform. The People’s Publishing House, meanwhile, will remain a public service institution. China currently has approximately 527 publishing houses, of which 20 to 30 are private enterprises. Most of these private publishers are engaged in publishing books.
“An experimental batch of publishing houses has been selected and their reshuffling and reform will be finished by the end of 2004,” the CPPA official explained. “Related information will not be publicized before the publishing system reforms are completed.”
Here is yet some further good news:
According to China’s WTO obligations, the retail book market will be open to foreign investment without any restriction after December 1, 2004. Foreign investors will have the final say in investment proportion, business fields and sales locations. Private investment will also be encouraged.
Here is the full (albeit brief) story. No, I don’t expect Chinese censorship to go away, but many restrictions are easing:
In 2003, the Party ordered reform for the whole cultural system. Some magazines and newspapers were no longer offered government and Party support to aid in distribution and revenue earning. As a result, over 600 newspapers and magazines folded, with some 400 more still facing challenges.
Here is more on opening up the Chinese publishing market. Milton Friedman, of course, was right to point out the strong connection between economic and political freedom. Here is a previous installment of “China Fact of the Day.”
Markets in everything, yet again
The new cinema in the Norwegian town of Kautokeino is somewhat out of the ordinary. Not only is it entirely made out of snow – it is a drive-in. For snowmobiles.
“We always wanted to create a different film experience,” explains Anne Lajla Utsi, the leader of the Kautokeino Sami film festival.
“As far as we know, this is a world first.”
Here is the full story.
And that’s not all. You sit on reindeer skins, you can buy reindeer meat and hot drinks at the snack stand (no ice cream!), and yes the screen is made of snow also.