Comments on: Laughing at Black Swans

By: Michael DeBurgh

Michael DeBurgh — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 20:05:28 +0000

Absolutely. Right on the mark! I’m always amused by the people that try to warn us of “the end of the world” in whatever shape or form. As much as I have faith in mankinds to get itself into an unending series of jams, I also have faith in mans ability to survive and overcome all manner of obstacles. Authors such as Mr Taleb and those like him don’t seem to see this. Perhaps is the the age old resistance to change.

By: Anthony

Anthony — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 22:15:08 +0000

Couldn’t agree more Mark. Taleb makes a valid comment about over reliance on RVM models but has little else to contribute and rapidly descends into repetitive ranting. I think it was Will Self who summed up Black Swan’s 300 pages in two words – ‘shit happens’. It is the commentators who can start to map out what the ‘other shore’ might look like when we get there who are valuable right now.

By: Tim Coldwell

Tim Coldwell — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 11:28:12 +0000

Yep. I watched a BBC Newsnight “interview” with Taleb last week. Made Rumsfeld’s “Unknown unkowns” look positively coherent.