Within ten years either genetic manipulation or embryo selection will have been used on at least 10,000 babies in China to increase the babies’ expected intelligence- 75%.
Within ten years either genetic manipulation or embryo selection will have been used on at least 50% of Chinese babies to increase the babies’ expected intelligence- 15%.
Within ten years the SAT testing service will require students to take a blood test to prove they are not on cognitive enhancing drugs. – 40%
All of the major candidates for the 2016 presidential election will have had samples of their DNA taken and analyzed (perhaps without the candidates’ permission.) The results of the analysis for each candidate will be widely disseminated and will influence many peoples’ voting decisions − 70%
While president, Obama will announce support for a VAT tax − 70%.
While president, Obama will announce support for means testing Social Security − 70%
Within ten years the U.S. repudiates its debt either officially or with an inflation rate of over 100% for one year − 20%.
Within five years the Israeli economy will have been devastated because many believe there is a high probability that an atomic bomb will someday be used against Israel – 30%
Within ten years there will be another $200 billion+ Wall Street Bailout − 80%
How many opportunities do you think we get to hear someone make clearly falsifiable ten-year predictions, and have them turn out to be false, and then have that person have the honour necessary to say “I was very, very wrong?” Not a lot! So any reflections you have to add on this would I think be super valuable. Thanks!
http://predictionbook.com/predictions/1690 I think you are on crack for this one. 15% ?! You seriously think there’s a 15% chance that a embryo selection and/or genetic manipulation for IQ will be developed, commercialized, and turned into an infrastructure capable of modifying roughly 9 million pregnancies a year? Where the hell are all the technicians and doctors going to come from, for one thing? There’s a long lead time for that sort of thing.
http://predictionbook.com/predictions/1691 Ditto—America doesn’t have that many phlebotomists, and would go batshit over a Collegeboard requirement like that. There would have to be an enormous national outcry over nootropics, and there’s zero sign of that, and tremendous takeup of drugs like modafinil. Even a urine or spit test would encounter tremendous opposition, and the Collegeboard has no incentive for such testing. (Cost, blame for false positives, and possibly dragging down scores which would earn it even more criticism. To name just the very most obvious negatives.)
http://predictionbook.com/predictions/1696 I think you forgot the part of your prediction where all the candidates went insane and agreed to such an incredibly status-lowering procedure, gave up all privacy, and completely forgot about how past candidates got away with not releasing all sorts of germane records.
http://predictionbook.com/predictions/1692 I recently read a book on old age public policy; amidst the endless details and financial minutia, I was deeply impressed how many ways there were to effectively means-test, even inadvertently, without obviously being means-testing or having that name. Judging could be very difficult.
http://predictionbook.com/predictions/1693 With a probability that high, shouldn’t you be desperately diversifying your personal finances overseas? Either fork of your prediction means major pain for US debt, equity, or cash holders.
http://predictionbook.com/predictions/1695 Definitions here are an issue. Some forecasts are for 2-500 billion dollars in defaults on student loans, which likely would provoke another bailout. Would that count? Does a 0% Fed rate and >0% Treasury rate constitute an ongoing bailout? etc.
All in all, this is a set of predictions that makes me think that I really should go on Intrade. I did manage to double my money at the IEM; at the time I assumed it was because I got lucky on picking McCain and Obama for the nominations, but if this is the best a random LWer can do, even aware of biases, basic data, and the basics of probability...
All of the major candidates for the 2016 presidential election will have had samples of their DNA taken and analyzed (perhaps without the candidates’ permission.) The results of the analysis for each candidate will be widely disseminated and will influence many peoples’ voting decisions − 70%
Within five years the Israeli economy will have been devastated because many believe there is a high probability that an atomic bomb will someday be used against Israel – 30%
Within ten years there will be another $200 billion+ Wall Street Bailout − 80%
I’d take the other side on any of these if we can find a way to make it precise.
How about this—I win if before he leaves office I can point to a speech Obama gave in which he advocates means testing Social Security. Otherwise you win. The speech has to be given after today, so you don’t fear this is some kind of trick.
If I win I get $100 from you. If you win I give you $233. But with these odds I’m indifferent to making the bet. So for me to be willing to bet I want you to agree that if Obama makes such a speech you have to pay me right away.
That works for me, with one little change. The end of his term needs to be counted as the end of a presidential election he doesn’t win, rather than the inauguration of his successor. This is because the reason I don’t think its very likely is that the political effects on him would be dire, so if he does it as a lame duck president he has nothing to lose. I’m still willing to take the risk on his second term since even a second-term president is subject to some political forces.
And as a clarification, I take “means testing” to mean increasing or decreasing social security payouts based on a person’s assets or income. It also has to apply to US citizens to count.
And since I’m not an American, I’d just like to confirm that the best is in US dollars. That works for me, and I assume it works for you too.
Within ten years either genetic manipulation or embryo selection will have been used on at least 10,000 babies in China to increase the babies’ expected intelligence- 75%.
Within ten years either genetic manipulation or embryo selection will have been used on at least 50% of Chinese babies to increase the babies’ expected intelligence- 15%.
Within ten years the SAT testing service will require students to take a blood test to prove they are not on cognitive enhancing drugs. – 40%
All of the major candidates for the 2016 presidential election will have had samples of their DNA taken and analyzed (perhaps without the candidates’ permission.) The results of the analysis for each candidate will be widely disseminated and will influence many peoples’ voting decisions − 70%
While president, Obama will announce support for a VAT tax − 70%.
While president, Obama will announce support for means testing Social Security − 70%
Within ten years the U.S. repudiates its debt either officially or with an inflation rate of over 100% for one year − 20%.
Within five years the Israeli economy will have been devastated because many believe there is a high probability that an atomic bomb will someday be used against Israel – 30%
Within ten years there will be another $200 billion+ Wall Street Bailout − 80%
I was very, very wrong.
How many opportunities do you think we get to hear someone make clearly falsifiable ten-year predictions, and have them turn out to be false, and then have that person have the honour necessary to say “I was very, very wrong?” Not a lot! So any reflections you have to add on this would I think be super valuable. Thanks!
http://predictionbook.com/predictions/1689
http://predictionbook.com/predictions/1690
I think you are on crack for this one. 15% ?! You seriously think there’s a 15% chance that a embryo selection and/or genetic manipulation for IQ will be developed, commercialized, and turned into an infrastructure capable of modifying roughly 9 million pregnancies a year? Where the hell are all the technicians and doctors going to come from, for one thing? There’s a long lead time for that sort of thing.
http://predictionbook.com/predictions/1691
Ditto—America doesn’t have that many phlebotomists, and would go batshit over a Collegeboard requirement like that. There would have to be an enormous national outcry over nootropics, and there’s zero sign of that, and tremendous takeup of drugs like modafinil. Even a urine or spit test would encounter tremendous opposition, and the Collegeboard has no incentive for such testing. (Cost, blame for false positives, and possibly dragging down scores which would earn it even more criticism. To name just the very most obvious negatives.)
http://predictionbook.com/predictions/1696
I think you forgot the part of your prediction where all the candidates went insane and agreed to such an incredibly status-lowering procedure, gave up all privacy, and completely forgot about how past candidates got away with not releasing all sorts of germane records.
http://predictionbook.com/predictions/1576 (Not sure if your wording is exactly the same as Cowen’s VAT prediction, but I figure it’ll do.)
http://predictionbook.com/predictions/1692
I recently read a book on old age public policy; amidst the endless details and financial minutia, I was deeply impressed how many ways there were to effectively means-test, even inadvertently, without obviously being means-testing or having that name. Judging could be very difficult.
http://predictionbook.com/predictions/1693
With a probability that high, shouldn’t you be desperately diversifying your personal finances overseas? Either fork of your prediction means major pain for US debt, equity, or cash holders.
http://predictionbook.com/predictions/1694
The odds of an Iranian bomb aren’t that terribly high, much less such an outcome happening.
http://predictionbook.com/predictions/1695
Definitions here are an issue. Some forecasts are for 2-500 billion dollars in defaults on student loans, which likely would provoke another bailout. Would that count? Does a 0% Fed rate and >0% Treasury rate constitute an ongoing bailout? etc.
All in all, this is a set of predictions that makes me think that I really should go on Intrade. I did manage to double my money at the IEM; at the time I assumed it was because I got lucky on picking McCain and Obama for the nominations, but if this is the best a random LWer can do, even aware of biases, basic data, and the basics of probability...
I’d take the other side on any of these if we can find a way to make it precise.
I hope you paid out on your bets.
As far as I can tell, every single one of your predictions has now been falsified.
“While president, Obama will announce support for means testing Social Security − 70%”
I’d be wiling to take those odds, with some refinements.
How about this—I win if before he leaves office I can point to a speech Obama gave in which he advocates means testing Social Security. Otherwise you win. The speech has to be given after today, so you don’t fear this is some kind of trick.
If I win I get $100 from you. If you win I give you $233. But with these odds I’m indifferent to making the bet. So for me to be willing to bet I want you to agree that if Obama makes such a speech you have to pay me right away.
That works for me, with one little change. The end of his term needs to be counted as the end of a presidential election he doesn’t win, rather than the inauguration of his successor. This is because the reason I don’t think its very likely is that the political effects on him would be dire, so if he does it as a lame duck president he has nothing to lose. I’m still willing to take the risk on his second term since even a second-term president is subject to some political forces.
And as a clarification, I take “means testing” to mean increasing or decreasing social security payouts based on a person’s assets or income. It also has to apply to US citizens to count.
And since I’m not an American, I’d just like to confirm that the best is in US dollars. That works for me, and I assume it works for you too.
OK, I accept—and yes the bet should be in U.S. dollars.
Please contact me at
EconomicProf@Yahoo.com so we can exchange addresses.
Hey, looks like you’re still active on the site, would be interested to hear your reflections on these predictions ten years on—thanks!