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Economics vs physics chez Thoma

Mark Thoma’s readers are certainly busy on weekends! A post of his on the general subject of physics vs economics went up on Sunday, and already it’s got 52 comments and counting.

The impetus for the blog entry is a piece by Philip Ball in the FT, wherein a hard scientist attacks the soft scientists in the economic realm for their dogmatism and lack of falsifiability.

Thoma initially takes a slightly dubious tack in response, complaining that physicists can’t predict earthquakes (they never claimed that they could) and that “the existing paradigm in physics doesn’t work” (it does). But things rapidly get more subtle and interestsing in the comments: a prime example of the blog format really enriching the debate.

No Responses to “Economics vs physics chez Thoma”

GuestOctober 30th, 2006 at 8:27 pm

Mark Thoma may be able to spell physics but that does not mean he understands physics. The enrichment come from those who can enlighten the topic with facts and reason.

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