Complex Step Differentiation. This is so simple and perfect - for a real analytic function f(x), Im(f(x+ih)) = f'(z)+O(h^2). Proof is exactly what you think. Also related, which I linked to last time: Introduction to Automatic Differentiation
The MCMC Handbook.
Andrew Gelman has an excellent list of statistical techniques you may not know, but should.
A short tutorial on using Google's Causal Impact to estimate the result of a TV ad.
A hacker news comment which explains when MongoDB is the right tool for the job.
Eduard Kmett on the advantages and disadvantages of class inheritance vs typeclasses.
Why Program with Continuous Time
Seven Deadly Sins of Talking About Types
Alternatives to Executors when scheduling Tasks/Actors
Tutorial on optimizing Haskell
A large portion of the infant mortality gap between the US and Europe (or at least the US and {Finland, Austria}) is caused by differential reporting of births and demographics.
First steps towards NGDP futures. Relatedly, Americans will be prohibited from using it.
The FTC takes an interest in feature engineering.
Are Americans Maoists, or merely innumerate?
62% of academic achievement is due to genes
Match Made at Birth? What Traits of a Million Swedes Tell Us About CEOs. Apparently CEOs are generally super awesome people.
John Cochrane demolishes Paul Krugman. Several followups - Noah Smith says we should punish the wealthy because voters dislike inequality. I wonder if he'd support punishing gay/interracial sex on the same grounds, or if he is making an argument he doesn't really believe? John Cochrane has a followup to some responses.
The Id of Basic Income. Interesting article arguing that the true purpose of BI is for the (wannabe) intellectual elite to maintain status without working.
Interfluidity explains some basic math on taxation and progressivity
Charlie Munger interview - part 1 part 2 and part 3. Good quotes:
...once the press goes off on something that’s complicated they go berserk. [On matters of tax policy.] The Jews were right to put those things [don't covet] in the Old Testament: don’t envy thy neighbor’s donkey, his wife…they kept laying it on because they knew it was important even for a bunch of herdsmen. They were right. Mr. Picketty [Capital] is a little daft...if a place as big as China gets really good at manufacturing it’s going to reduce some union jobs in the rest of the world...To sit in a very rich country with a 36-hour week and complain about the fact that all the other people are coming up just doesn’t strike me as a very mature or noble way to behave.