Long live lines of code!
We look at how lines of code is a useful measurement, then I ask you more about your maths abilities, and we learn to combine studies that are not individually significant.
You have arrived at the mid-week hump. Have a $container of $beverage and enjoy some reading before you speed along with the rest of your life.
New articles
Lines of code are useful
People are too hard on the good old lines-of-code measurement. It's useful. It measures complexity. That's not nothing.
Full article (10–25 minute read): Lines of code are useful
Getting to know you
I have some questions I would like to ask you over the coming weeks. Some of the results may end up in aggregated form as illustrative examples in future articles. Others might inform my writing.
How much maths are you comfortable with? (Choose the alternative where you start to get uncomfortable, even if you think you can do more advanced things.)
- Counting, recognising numbers (IIIIII, 6)
- Addition/subtraction (3+9, 9-3)
- Negative numbers (-3, 4-12)
- Multiplication (6×5)
- Fractions, division (3/4, 50/8)
- Percentages (3 % of 8, 154 increased by 14 %)
- Variables and functions (x, f(x), y=3x)
- Integer powers (3^8, x^2)
- Integer roots (square roots, cube roots)
- Fractional powers and roots (x^1.2, x^(1/12))
- Finding solutions to linear equations (3x-4=5)
- Finding solutions to quadratic equations (x² + 3x - 3 = 15)
- Finding solutions that require logarithms (3^a = 5)
- Basic trigonometry (sin 180°, cos π/2, finding the size of the hypotenuse)
- Basic differentiation (d/dx 3x + x², f'(x)/f(x) when f is known)
- Basic integration (∫ t^3 dt)
- Complex numbers (3+5i, 8e^(iπ/12))
- Differential equations (dy/dx = 5y)
This may or may not be the same answer that you chose for the question of what the most advanced thing you've studied is!
Flashcard of the week
Here's a fun one I remember how to do, but I keep forgetting I can do it.
What is the big picture for the process of evaluating the combined evidence of three underpowered independent studies that arrived at p-values of 0.12, 0.30, and 0.07?
I'm not even sure why this works, but Fisher says it does and I trust him.
1. Convert to chi-squared values at two degrees of freedom. 2. Sum up. 3. Convert back to a probability.
In this specific case, the combined p-value is 0.06, which is not 95 % confidence, but getting close. We get there by converting the probabilities to chi-squared draws 4.2, 2.4, and 5.3. When we add them together, we get 11.9 with six degrees of freedom. That's p=0.06.
Premium newsletters
The most recent premium newsletter was very long and it left me kind of exhausted. I want to write something interesting for premium subscribers, but not something that is too interesting, because the things that are really interesting should go on the public blog!
I am drafting the next premium newsletter, though. In it you may find some discussions on finding good work, forecasting, writing books, and a bunch of external links.
The most recent newsletter before that had a long article on implementing pathfinding for the board game Den Försvunna Diamanten, as well as rationales for my forecasts in the ACX 2026 prediction contest. By subscribing, you get access to this and all past newsletters too.
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