Joep Nieuwenburg
Forecasting the End: Brandon Carter’s Doomsday Argument and Its Econometric Implications
In the world of econometrics, we're accustomed to predicting recessions, estimating causal impacts, and modeling long-term growth. But what if the tools of probabilistic reasoning could also offer insight into humanity's own lifespan? This is the bold proposal behind physicist Brandon Carter’s Doomsday Argument, a theory that, while grounded in philosophical probability, has clear implications for statistical reasoning and long-term forecasting.
Chess and Mathematics: The Knight's Tour Problem
Chess and mathematics share deep connections, particularly in logic, strategy, and problem-solving. Many chess players have studied mathematical problems arising from the game. One famous example is the Knight’s Tour Problem—a pathfinding puzzle that dates back to 840 AD.
Infinite Hotel Paradox
Suppose you have a hotel with infinitely many occupied rooms. Now another guest shows up, what would you do? It turns out that you can still accommodate him. In fact, you can actually accommodate a bus of infinitely many guests and even infinite busses of infinitely many guests. However, not any amount of guests can […]
The Myth of Form in Football
Have you ever won five games in a row and felt like you could win ten more? Or maybe you lost 5 five and you just kept losing after that? Most people that have played sports will recognize this. Being “in form” seems to have a large impact on whether we will win the next […]