Manipulation and the causal Markov condition

This paper explores the relationship between a manipulability conception of causation and the causal Markov condition (CM). We argue that violations of CM also violate widely shared expectations—implicit in the manipulability conception—having to do with the absence of spontaneous correlations. They also violate expectations concerning the connection between independence or dependence relationships in the presence and absence of interventions

¿Necesita leyes la Economía?

Este estudio reabre la cuestión de si las explicaciones en Economía requieren que los economistas sean capaces de señalar leyes explicativas. Distanciándose abiertamente de los trabajos previos de este autor, se defiende un modelo de explicación específicamente causal; y se argumenta que ese modelo permite entender cómo los economistas pueden dar explicaciones mejor que con un modelo que intenta construir generalizaciones causales aproximadas entendidas como leyes genuinas, aun cuando inexactas.This essay reopens the question of whether explanations in economics require that economists be able to cite explanatory Jaws. In an abrupt departure from previous work of this author, it defends a specifically causal rnodel of explanation; and it argues that such a model better enables one to understand how economists can give explanations than does a model that atternpts to construe the rough causal generalizations of econornics as genuine, albeit inexact laws

El realismo crítico y las teorías de sistemas abiertos

Este ensayo distingue las cuestiones que tienen su origen en que las Economías son sistemas abiertos respecto de las cuestiones generales que versan sobre el realismo en Economía. Defiende la importancia de los temas relacionados con los fines (goals) de la Economía y la relevancia de la investigación de las causas y los mecanismos; pero sostiene que el programa realista crítico de Tony Lawson se comprende mucho mejor como una defensa de una concepción de tendencias y de mecanismos en Economía contra otros [enfoques] que no son menos realistas. Este trabajo argumenta, además, que la atención de Lawson y de Bhaskar acerca de los sistemas abiertos no respaldan sus posiciones sobre los "transfácticos" (transfactuals).This essay distinguishes questions that arise from the fact that economics are open systems from general questions concerning realism in economics. It defends the importance of questions concerning the goals of economics and the importance of the investigation of causes and mechanisms, but it argues that Tony Lawson's critica) realist program is best understood as a defense of one view of tendencies and mechanisms in economics against others that are no less realist. This essay argues in addition that Lawson's and Bhaskar's concerns about open systems do not support their view of •transfactuals•

Brevity, Speed, and Deference: An Account from the Williams Chambers

One of the leading books on administrative law advocates judicial review for “sound governance.”Reviewing the book while sitting on the D.C. Circuit, Judge Williams posited that, even if “judges are smarter than agency heads, or have more time on their hands, or have cleverer clerks,” the proper institutional role requires more deference. Divining “sound governance” is not for courts. The Judge concluded by quoting Milton’s poem about the role of the blind: “They also serve who only stand and waite.

Accurate Determination of Comet and Asteroid Orbits Leading to Collision With Earth

Movements of the celestial bodies in our solar system inspired Isaac Newton to work out his profound laws of gravitation and motion; with one or two notable exceptions, all of those objects move as Newton said they would. But normally harmonious orbital motion is accompanied by the risk of collision, which can be cataclysmic. The Earth s moon is thought to have been produced by such an event, and we recently witnessed magnificent bombardments of Jupiter by several pieces of what was once Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9. Other comets or asteroids may have met the Earth with such violence that dinosaurs and other forms of life became extinct; it is this possibility that causes us to ask how the human species might avoid a similar catastrophe, and the answer requires a thorough understanding of orbital motion. The two red square flags with black square centers displayed are internationally recognized as a warning of an impending hurricane. Mariners and coastal residents who know the meaning of this symbol and the signs evident in the sky and ocean can act in advance to try to protect lives and property; someone who is unfamiliar with the warning signs or chooses to ignore them is in much greater jeopardy. Although collisions between Earth and large comets or asteroids occur much less frequently than landfall of a hurricane, it is imperative that we learn to identify the harbingers of such collisions by careful examination of an object s path. An accurate determination of the orbit of a comet or asteroid is necessary in order to know if, when, and where on the Earth s surface a collision will occur. Generally speaking, the longer the warning time, the better the chance of being able to plan and execute action to prevent a collision. The more accurate the determination of an orbit, the less likely such action will be wasted effort or, what is worse, an effort that increases rather than decreases the probability of a collision. Conditions necessary for a collision to occur are discussed, and warning times for long-period comets and near-Earth asteroids are presented

Software Citation Implementation Challenges

The main output of the FORCE11 Software Citation working group (https://www.force11.org/group/software-citation-working-group) was a paper on software citation principles (https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj-cs.86) published in September 2016. This paper laid out a set of six high-level principles for software citation (importance, credit and attribution, unique identification, persistence, accessibility, and specificity) and discussed how they could be used to implement software citation in the scholarly community. In a series of talks and other activities, we have promoted software citation using these increasingly accepted principles. At the time the initial paper was published, we also provided guidance and examples on how to make software citable, though we now realize there are unresolved problems with that guidance. The purpose of this document is to provide an explanation of current issues impacting scholarly attribution of research software, organize updated implementation guidance, and identify where best practices and solutions are still needed

Heterogeneity of preferences for the benefits of environmental stewardship: a latent-class approach

Since 2005, Environmental Stewardship (ES) has been the principal agri-environment scheme for England and is the key instrument for the delivery of increased environmental benefits from agricultural landscapes. The main objective of this study is to investigate whether or not individuals' preferences for the environmental benefits associated with ES vary depending on types of landscapes within which these benefits are delivered. A latent class model is applied to data obtained from a choice experiment survey of over 1000 respondents sampled across England. The results suggest that individuals have heterogenous preferences for the benefits of ES, though different segments of the population with more homogenous preferences can be identified. In particular, higher levels of benefit are often associated with the operation of ES in landscapes close to where respondents live. This leads to the suggestion that, in order to maximise the benefits of ES, its implementation could take this result into account by encouraging greater uptake from farmers whose land is closer to large populations