Comments on: Counterfactuals, revisited http://cafehayek.com/2009/11/counterfactuals-revisited.html where orders emerge Mon, 16 Jan 2012 02:06:33 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= By: chase http://cafehayek.com/2009/11/counterfactuals-revisited.html/comment-page-1#comment-190231 chase Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:30:00 +0000 http://cafehayek.com/?p=7218#comment-190231 uhhh dude, I am VERY good at video games and when i press buttons good things DO happen. If politicians were as good at their jobs as i am at video games we'd be in heaven uhhh dude,

I am VERY good at video games and when i press buttons good things DO happen.

If politicians were as good at their jobs as i am at video games we’d be in heaven

]]> By: Anonymous http://cafehayek.com/2009/11/counterfactuals-revisited.html/comment-page-1#comment-190125 Anonymous Wed, 11 Nov 2009 19:32:00 +0000 http://cafehayek.com/?p=7218#comment-190125 I *wish* they weren't putting money in. I *wish* they weren’t putting money in.

]]> By: Anonymous http://cafehayek.com/2009/11/counterfactuals-revisited.html/comment-page-1#comment-190118 Anonymous Wed, 11 Nov 2009 18:58:00 +0000 http://cafehayek.com/?p=7218#comment-190118 Then there's the story of the psychologist testing operant conditioning by putting a bird in a Skinner Box and dropping food pellets in at random moments. In time the bird began to associate its actions with the arrival of the food, which led to some strange behavior - jumping up and down, spinning around, rolling over, passing massive stimulus packages, etc. Then there’s the story of the psychologist testing operant conditioning by putting a bird in a Skinner Box and dropping food pellets in at random moments. In time the bird began to associate its actions with the arrival of the food, which led to some strange behavior – jumping up and down, spinning around, rolling over, passing massive stimulus packages, etc.

]]> By: Nelly http://cafehayek.com/2009/11/counterfactuals-revisited.html/comment-page-1#comment-190112 Nelly Wed, 11 Nov 2009 18:23:00 +0000 http://cafehayek.com/?p=7218#comment-190112 I remember listening to a podcast by Burton Malkiel where he talked about an interesting study. He said "one study had subjects try to control a bouncing ball on a computer screen and then estimate how much control they had over keeping the ball in the top half of the screen. Subjects started out having about 15% control over the ball but they estimated they actually had 85% control over it. Then at some point the subjects were given absolutely no control over the ball but still estimated they had a good deal of control over it." I remember listening to a podcast by Burton Malkiel where he talked about an interesting study. He said “one study had subjects try to control a bouncing ball on a computer screen and then estimate how much control they had over keeping the ball in the top half of the screen. Subjects started out having about 15% control over the ball but they estimated they actually had 85% control over it. Then at some point the subjects were given absolutely no control over the ball but still estimated they had a good deal of control over it.”

]]> By: Seth http://cafehayek.com/2009/11/counterfactuals-revisited.html/comment-page-1#comment-190108 Seth Wed, 11 Nov 2009 18:00:00 +0000 http://cafehayek.com/?p=7218#comment-190108 Ah...it took me a second. Good one. At least the little kids eventually learn. Ah…it took me a second. Good one. At least the little kids eventually learn.

]]> By: Mark http://cafehayek.com/2009/11/counterfactuals-revisited.html/comment-page-1#comment-190103 Mark Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:32:00 +0000 http://cafehayek.com/?p=7218#comment-190103 Yeah, it's a great analogy regarding the effectiveness of politicians (and other policy wonks). I only wish it could capture their destructiveness and arrogance. Yeah, it’s a great analogy regarding the effectiveness of politicians (and other policy wonks). I only wish it could capture their destructiveness and arrogance.

]]> By: Guest http://cafehayek.com/2009/11/counterfactuals-revisited.html/comment-page-1#comment-190097 Guest Wed, 11 Nov 2009 16:50:00 +0000 http://cafehayek.com/?p=7218#comment-190097 Brilliant analogy. Brilliant analogy.

]]> By: Anonymous http://cafehayek.com/2009/11/counterfactuals-revisited.html/comment-page-1#comment-190083 Anonymous Wed, 11 Nov 2009 16:08:00 +0000 http://cafehayek.com/?p=7218#comment-190083 That's a great analysis. I would argue that it's like little kids working the controls of a video game without putting any money in and occassionally whacking the machine with a sledge hammer out of frustration with what they see on the screen. They have very little power to do any good but a tremendous amount of power to destroy the machine. That’s a great analysis. I would argue that it’s like little kids working the controls of a video game without putting any money in and occassionally whacking the machine with a sledge hammer out of frustration with what they see on the screen.

They have very little power to do any good but a tremendous amount of power to destroy the machine.

]]>