Day: January 27, 2010

Education, Hypnosis, Math, Money

Math as Mass Hypnosis: On Mortgage-Backed Securities, Maritime Warfare, and Medical Research (MedScape Today)

The problems with the mathematical models started when banks started offering mortgages without knowing a borrower’s assets or income. (These were called “NINjA” loans, as in “No Income? No Assets?
Here is a loan anyway.”) Models don’t generally run very well unless you have good data to plug into the model; therefore, analysts were forced to make what amounted to an educated guess as to the
chance that a NINjA loan would end in default. …

Hemp -Marijuana

What Should We Do About Medical Marijuana? (Medcape International Medicine)

Philosophically, I agree that further research and easier access for medical use are good things if marijuana can help alleviate patient suffering. As a primary care physician and a mother,
however, I worry that becoming too lax with restrictions might make it easier to obtain for nonmedical use. The AMA report also reminds us that “whether or not cannabis is a gateway drug to other
substance misuse is controversial.” That’s what makes this issue hit close to my home and my office.