Gary-mandering and Feline MAYHEM
Bowler Hat Science from Matthew R Francis
I learned a few years ago that we all pronounce "gerrymandering" wrong. We say it like "Jerry", but 19th century Massachusetts governor Elbridge Gerry pronounced his last name like "Gary". Even though we only remember that man because of his nefarious election-rigging, his descendants evidently get really peeved at you when you mispronounce his name.
Anyway, in dubious honor of that factoid, I contributed an opinion piece to Scientific American that explains why ...
Math Can’t Solve Gerrymandering
Mathematicians and mathematically-inclined political scientists have devoted a lot of effort to designing rigorous tests for gerrymandering and developing methods to establish fair districts. These people are on the side of the angels, but as I wrote:
to simply be interested in fixing gerrymandering indicates that you believe it is a problem, and that’s a matter of values. After all, politicians designed these districts to give themselves an advantage. They think it’s swell.
In other words, math can't solve gerrymandering because math didn't create gerrymandering. We have to combat the values behind racist and politically-motivated districts before we can solve the problem. We have to rethink things like prisons and where migrant workers live. Then we can apply math to make things as fair as possible, but fairness itself is not a mathematical concept.
Anyway, read the rest at Scientific American and share with your friends, because I think this is really important.
And Now for Feline MAYHEM
Nebula the cat is settling in well, which means she and Callisto chase each other all over the house at top speed. Here they are together in a more peaceful moment, watching birds.
Bowlerhattishly thine,
Matthew
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