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Interconnected events don’t. They go from stable, most of the time, to flat-out nutso in extreme times. Fair coins don’t go nutso. Dice don’t go nutso. Lentil buying ''can'' go nutso. You can’t model it. You can’t predict it. The [[correlation]] between events then changes further ''because it’s gone nutso''. There’s a feedback loop. | Interconnected events don’t. They go from stable, most of the time, to flat-out nutso in extreme times. Fair coins don’t go nutso. Dice don’t go nutso. Lentil buying ''can'' go nutso. You can’t model it. You can’t predict it. The [[correlation]] between events then changes further ''because it’s gone nutso''. There’s a feedback loop. | ||
The point? Modelling normal distributions of independent events is easy, and safe. Modelling distributions of interconnected events isn’t. It isn’t just a case of more complex maths. It isn’t ''possible''. Now, mis-modelling overall lentil demand is a relatively low-stakes game: liable to annoy peaceniks — who are | The point? Modelling normal distributions of independent events is easy, and safe. Modelling distributions of interconnected events isn’t. It isn’t just a case of more complex maths. It isn’t ''possible''. Now, mis-modelling overall lentil demand is a relatively low-stakes game: liable to annoy peaceniks — who are by nature unlikely to foment insurrection, and annoying them is kind of amusing anyway — plus, realistically (unless it ''is'' Armageddon, in which case lentil shortage is not the problem) actual consumption of lentils won’t change, so the supply-shortage will quickly sort itself out. | ||
So a spot of [[convexity]] might not matter for the worlds’ lentil purveyors — but how about the global transport and hospitality industries? What would ''they'' do if everyone, all around the world, without warning — you know, ''billions'' of people — as one, ''indefinitely'', stayed indoors? | |||
Like ''that'' would ever happen. | Like ''that'' would ever happen. |