SuperFreakonomics, Steven D. Levitt & Stephen J. Dubner

[greaverashlee]

Nice video.good work!keep it up!

[ichris6]

I need to know. the name of the song. During the beginning of the japanese/sumo part, with the female vocalist. PLEASE.

[rhcp4565]

so the guy with black hair and glasses is the writer, not the actual economist?

[duuktoprock]

Is it just me or does anybody actually care about the duck thats driving... or the people that the dunk kills while driving. I personally don't give a shit if the drunk is dumb enough to kill himself while driving or walking. just don't kill anybody else in the process!

[hoverdays]

@duuktoprock worth reading the book - they deal with your point. The likelihood of a death occurring, period, is still 5 times higher when comparing drunk walkers to drunk drivers.

[kpmull]

I'm half way thru this book. The author's point about drunk driving vs drunk walking is If your reasons for not drinking and driving are fear of getting in a crash and dying, then you are much more at risk of dying if you choose to walk. If your incentive to NOT drink and drive is fear of getting a DUI they point out that that is very unlikely based on number of miles driven drunk.

[Tacoinmysoup]

@kpmull

They also mention the fact that driving drunk poses the risk of killing another human being, while walking drunk doesn't.

[seafoam555]

This book is amazing! Totally challenges conventional wisdom and why it can be at times just plain wrong. Highly recommended!

[sebwingfield]

Finally, I don't like it when people try to pigeon hole humans as either essentially good or essentailly bad, or as either selfish or altruistic. Every person has his or her own moral strengths and weaknesses; and a particular person's moral strengths and weaknesses may change with time and with the circumstances. Now, if you feel guilty bc you know deep down inside that you are a dirtbag, then I can see why you would want everyone to believe that we are all essentailly dirtbags.

[John27346]

@sebwingfield It's an analysis of of the effect of individuals as a swarm.

The swarm happens to be human.

[sebwingfield]

Driving drunk may be safer than walking drunk for the drunk person, but not safer overall because it is more dangerous for everyone else.

The reason cows give off so much methane is that we feed them corn. Corn iritates their digestive tracts which are designed for grass, it makes them sick, weakens their immune system so they need more antibiotics, and gives them diarreah and gas.

[yonkydonkyful]

@sebwingfield Have you read the book?

[sebwingfield]

Other reasons for shifting to renewables and away from coal and oil (reasons that have nothing to do with CO2 or global warming) include: we will run pout of oil faster than we think; our dependance on foreign oil leaves us vulnerable and has arguable caused wars and cost us American lives; burning coal puts mercury in the water and fish - and as previously mentioned cause acid rain; oil spills pollute the ocean; drilling for oil and natural gas can pollute drinking water; black lung disease...

[sebwingfield]

That's ironic that these guys are promoting pumping sulfer dioxide (SO2) into the atmosphere to combat global warming. We have deliberately cut SO2 emissions by 40% since the 1990s to help prevent acid rain. Acid rain levels have dropped 65% since 1976 as a result.

Also, global warming is not the only reason for shifting away from carbon based fuels.

[jpgrdnr]

Damn, I should write a book. Oh by the way, economists aren't scientists. I'm just saying.

[kpmull]

@jpgrdnr Absolutely. Economists analyze data.  Scientists hypothisize and collect data.

[riorio23]

kangaroos also taste like shit.

[dkcool117]

today im a new man, im gonna save the world by eating kangaroo!!!!

[FantasmaBAnco]

I don't think so... a bit gamey maybe.

[ryno99]

Any women you have to buy a dinner or a drink to get a root is a prossie.

[8592534444]

I love this stuff.  I wanna party with these guys. I had Macro and Micro in college, but it was nothing like this. I wonder if they could draw any correlations about my co-workers who pick their nose?

[ASRIBEIRIO]

He's gone from trying to be a serious academic, to a just another author trying to do anything to get attention - even if he's wrong. His climate science is wrong, he incorrectly uses the stats for drunk driving etc. It's a bit sad, really.

[muetter]

driving drunk is dangerous because OTHER people inherit the risk of the behavior, the driver has a heavy car frame, seatbelt and airbag to protect him/her. People lash out against drunk friving more for the sake of innocent bystanders than for the safety of the river. Of course drunk walkers are at more personal risk. But I wonder if the data they consulted distinguished among levels of BAC instead of just lumping all drunk people into the same category.

[humpmunky]

my son was killed while drunk walking...  :(

[jaimymoore]

Because college students donate their time, rather than the money they don't have.

This guy is a moron.

[ridethetsunami]

Conventional wisdom - never trust it.

[climatebrad]

Levitt and Dubner claim climate scientist Ken Caldeira doesn't think CO2 is "the real villain" in global warming, even though he actually does.

Why did they LIE?

[kliff215]

Depends what neighborhood you live in.  this guy is a douche

[entropyfu]

and 25% half truths.

[airborne373]

This guys first book was about 75% BS.