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Hi Guys, I am from China, and of course the Bayesian is taught in China. Only in the culture revolution time, this crazy thing may happen; but it's long time a

Hi Guys, I am from China, and of course the Bayesian is taught in China. Only in the culture revolution time, this crazy thing may happen; but it's long time ago when Mao was alive. Now China is a modern society; of course, the Bayesian theory is taught in schools; otherwise how could they send the spaceship to the outer space and have the fastest super computer in the world so far. you are smart hackers, not a bunch of kids controlled by traditional biases. As to censorship, that's right, china has notorious censorship. I guess the author's book must have some contents/examples regarding political issues; not Bayesian itself was the reason for the book being censored. These days, when people talked about censorship, I always think of wiki-leaks ......

gort 16y ago
of course, the Bayesian theory is taught in schools; otherwise how could they send the spaceship to the outer space and have the fastest super computer in the world Do these things require specifically Bayesian statistics?
- lightoverhead 16y ago
  what do you think?
  - gort 16y ago
    I think it's not immediately obvious why they would.
    - lightoverhead 16y ago
      I agree, it's not immediate application. But Bayesian is one of the most important or fundamental knowledge to develop these cutting-edge technologies.
      - yters 16y ago
        How? I'm experienced with spacecraft design and the like, and have never heard of Bayesian probability theory being used. If it was fundamental I'd expect some mention, somewhere.
        eru 16y ago
        If you look hard enough, you can find it in e.g. (linear) regressions and Kalman filtering.
- garply 16y ago
  From a strictly logical perspective, they might not. But I would wager a fair amount that there are Bayesian methods used somewhere in the stack supporting those two things. I also suspect that genetic algorithms designed for scheduling purposes probably help your phone call data get transferred somewhere along the way. That is to say, just because the two technologies are not obviously connected doesn't mean the former isn't used somewhere to achieve or improve the latter. That said, even if there is no presence of Bayesianism in the efforts producing those tasks, his point was surely that, in today's world, an education sufficiently advanced to train people to do those things would certainly include Bayesian statistics somewhere in the curriculum.
  - lightoverhead 16y ago
    Thank you garply. "an education sufficiently advanced to train people to do those things would certainly include Bayesian statistics somewhere in the curriculum" is exactly what I want to convey.
mayank 16y ago
Launching a spaceship almost certainly uses Bayesian methods for tracking (e.g., Kalman or particle filters for position tracking), but I seriously doubt that building a supercomputer requires a dedicated use of Bayesian statistics. On a different note, perhaps you could be slightly less condescending in your future posts.
- andybak 16y ago
  I didn't find his tone too objectionable. Always consider that getting the tone correct can be difficult in a foreign tongue.
  - mayank 16y ago
    Understandable, but for future reference to anyone who might be interested, telling strangers to "use their brains" is generally not appreciated in many cultures, since it implies that they weren't.
    - deleted 16y ago
      [deleted]
    - lightoverhead 16y ago
      points taken. I updated my original post. sorry for that condescending tone.
      - RickHull 16y ago
        Also, as China is surely the least transparent nation among world powers, I think it is unreasonable to expect foreigners outside the curtain to have an understanding of what really goes on behind the curtain. The lack of transparency fuels wild speculation.
      - xfs 16y ago
        I guess you meant "to reason" but wrote it as "to move(use) brain"?
- 16y ago
hencq 16y ago
> I guess the author's book must have some contents/examples regarding political issues; not Bayesian itself was the reason for the book being censored. Does the reason really matter?
yters 16y ago
It's good Assange didn't wiki-leak China. Otherwise he'd be dead, not getting extradited to live in a cushy prison.
yters 16y ago
It's good Assange didn't wiki-leak China. Otherwise he'd be dead, not getting extradited to live in fame in a cushy prison.
- est 16y ago
  You'd be surprised: http://mirror.wikileaks.info/wiki/Category:China http://mirror.wikileaks.info/wiki/Category:China (link not working FTM) And just for the record, Assange didn't leak anything, users submit them or it was collected via Tor exit and wikileaks just publishes it.
alexqgb 16y ago
If you're thinking about Wikileaks, think about how the official reaction is being widely regarded as a very overbearing, and very un-American thing, not as a typical expression of well-established values. Indeed, for a summary of well-established American values, see the collection defined by the Pentagon Papers, the Watergate story, and more recently, the NYT's Warrantless Wiretapping story. Together, they put the Administration on the wrong side of our national character, and to a very embarrassing degree. So I agree with you; the Wikileaks response doesn't just look bad, it is bad. But you join others on the more dubious side of the issue when you cite errors like this as excuses or justifications for vastly more abusive practices elsewhere, rather than violations of civil liberty that shouldn't be tolerated by self-respecting people anywhere.
- burgerbrain 16y ago
  "But you join others on the more dubious side of the issue when you cite errors like this as excuses or justifications for vastly more abusive practices elsewhere, rather than violations of civil liberty that shouldn't be tolerated by self-respecting people anywhere." Or to put it more bluntly: "America sucking is no excuse for China sucking" ;)
guelo 16y ago
You should have noticed in the WikiLeaks case that there are a lot of Americans criticizing our government. It sounds like you are proud of China, but the truly patriotic thing to do is to criticize your government when it does wrong so that it can improve.
jjguy 16y ago
lightoverhead, I agree with the sentiment of your post - there is no reasonable way to censor a fundamental technical topic such as Bayesian statistics. I find myself wondering what the author did not post from his book that was questionable. However, the tone of your post makes me wonder if you are a shill paid by the Chinese government to counter commentary critical of China on the Internet. If I am mistaken, you have my sincerest apologies. The actions of your government have caused me to become a skeptic. HackerNews, Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/50_Cent_Party http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/50_Cent_Party Asia Times: http://www.atimes.com/atimes/China/JH14Ad01.html http://www.atimes.com/atimes/China/JH14Ad01.html In action, in relation to the underage Chinese gymnast in 2008 Olympics: http://strydehax.blogspot.com/2008/09/yang-yun-speaks-out.html http://strydehax.blogspot.com/2008/09/yang-yun-speaks-out.ht...

gort 16y ago

of course, the Bayesian theory is taught in schools; otherwise how could they send the spaceship to the outer space and have the fastest super computer in the world Do these things require specifically Bayesian statistics?

lightoverhead 16y ago
what do you think?
- gort 16y ago
  I think it's not immediately obvious why they would.
  - lightoverhead 16y ago
    I agree, it's not immediate application. But Bayesian is one of the most important or fundamental knowledge to develop these cutting-edge technologies.
    - yters 16y ago
      How? I'm experienced with spacecraft design and the like, and have never heard of Bayesian probability theory being used. If it was fundamental I'd expect some mention, somewhere.
      - eru 16y ago
        If you look hard enough, you can find it in e.g. (linear) regressions and Kalman filtering.
garply 16y ago
From a strictly logical perspective, they might not. But I would wager a fair amount that there are Bayesian methods used somewhere in the stack supporting those two things. I also suspect that genetic algorithms designed for scheduling purposes probably help your phone call data get transferred somewhere along the way. That is to say, just because the two technologies are not obviously connected doesn't mean the former isn't used somewhere to achieve or improve the latter. That said, even if there is no presence of Bayesianism in the efforts producing those tasks, his point was surely that, in today's world, an education sufficiently advanced to train people to do those things would certainly include Bayesian statistics somewhere in the curriculum.
- lightoverhead 16y ago
  Thank you garply. "an education sufficiently advanced to train people to do those things would certainly include Bayesian statistics somewhere in the curriculum" is exactly what I want to convey.

mayank 16y ago

Launching a spaceship almost certainly uses Bayesian methods for tracking (e.g., Kalman or particle filters for position tracking), but I seriously doubt that building a supercomputer requires a dedicated use of Bayesian statistics. On a different note, perhaps you could be slightly less condescending in your future posts.

andybak 16y ago
I didn't find his tone too objectionable. Always consider that getting the tone correct can be difficult in a foreign tongue.
- mayank 16y ago
  Understandable, but for future reference to anyone who might be interested, telling strangers to "use their brains" is generally not appreciated in many cultures, since it implies that they weren't.
  - deleted 16y ago
    [deleted]
  - lightoverhead 16y ago
    points taken. I updated my original post. sorry for that condescending tone.
    - RickHull 16y ago
      Also, as China is surely the least transparent nation among world powers, I think it is unreasonable to expect foreigners outside the curtain to have an understanding of what really goes on behind the curtain. The lack of transparency fuels wild speculation.
    - xfs 16y ago
      I guess you meant "to reason" but wrote it as "to move(use) brain"?
16y ago

hencq 16y ago

> I guess the author's book must have some contents/examples regarding political issues; not Bayesian itself was the reason for the book being censored. Does the reason really matter?

yters 16y ago

It's good Assange didn't wiki-leak China. Otherwise he'd be dead, not getting extradited to live in a cushy prison.

yters 16y ago

It's good Assange didn't wiki-leak China. Otherwise he'd be dead, not getting extradited to live in fame in a cushy prison.

est 16y ago
You'd be surprised: http://mirror.wikileaks.info/wiki/Category:China http://mirror.wikileaks.info/wiki/Category:China (link not working FTM) And just for the record, Assange didn't leak anything, users submit them or it was collected via Tor exit and wikileaks just publishes it.

alexqgb 16y ago

If you're thinking about Wikileaks, think about how the official reaction is being widely regarded as a very overbearing, and very un-American thing, not as a typical expression of well-established values. Indeed, for a summary of well-established American values, see the collection defined by the Pentagon Papers, the Watergate story, and more recently, the NYT's Warrantless Wiretapping story. Together, they put the Administration on the wrong side of our national character, and to a very embarrassing degree. So I agree with you; the Wikileaks response doesn't just look bad, it is bad. But you join others on the more dubious side of the issue when you cite errors like this as excuses or justifications for vastly more abusive practices elsewhere, rather than violations of civil liberty that shouldn't be tolerated by self-respecting people anywhere.

burgerbrain 16y ago
"But you join others on the more dubious side of the issue when you cite errors like this as excuses or justifications for vastly more abusive practices elsewhere, rather than violations of civil liberty that shouldn't be tolerated by self-respecting people anywhere." Or to put it more bluntly: "America sucking is no excuse for China sucking" ;)

guelo 16y ago

You should have noticed in the WikiLeaks case that there are a lot of Americans criticizing our government. It sounds like you are proud of China, but the truly patriotic thing to do is to criticize your government when it does wrong so that it can improve.

jjguy 16y ago

lightoverhead, I agree with the sentiment of your post - there is no reasonable way to censor a fundamental technical topic such as Bayesian statistics. I find myself wondering what the author did not post from his book that was questionable. However, the tone of your post makes me wonder if you are a shill paid by the Chinese government to counter commentary critical of China on the Internet. If I am mistaken, you have my sincerest apologies. The actions of your government have caused me to become a skeptic. HackerNews, Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/50_Cent_Party http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/50_Cent_Party Asia Times: http://www.atimes.com/atimes/China/JH14Ad01.html http://www.atimes.com/atimes/China/JH14Ad01.html In action, in relation to the underage Chinese gymnast in 2008 Olympics: http://strydehax.blogspot.com/2008/09/yang-yun-speaks-out.html http://strydehax.blogspot.com/2008/09/yang-yun-speaks-out.ht...