Stick to baseball, 5/17/19.

For ESPN+ subscribers this week, my look back at the 2009 draft went up, with a redraft of the first round and a look at the first-round misses. I also wrote a scouting post on some Orioles, Royals, Yankees, and Blue Jays prospects, including the top prospect in each of the first three organizations coming into the year. I held a Klawchat on Thursday.

And now, the links…

Comments

  1. Mitchell Walk

    I agree jury trials are a terrible way to assign fault in health and safety cases like the Round-up one, but I think ‘no evidence’ overstates the case, though I’m hardly an expert and admit to relying on media articles like this: https://edition-m.cnn.com/2019/02/14/health/us-glyphosate-cancer-study-scli-intl/index.html

    • A Salty Scientist

      I think that’s fair. I’d say the evidence is mixed. The meta-analysis referred to in the CNN article did show an increased risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, but the risk (if validated if future larger studies) would still be small.

      Considering the state of scientific literacy in our country, having juries adjudicate science is awful. If we consider patent disputes (e.g. CRISPR), judges are seldom much better though. I don’t know of a solution other than packing juries with actual scientists for these cases. I mean, that is the reason for scientific peer review–we have the requisite expertise..

  2. Can health insurers add a surcharge to a plan if you and/or your kids aren’t vaccinated for non-medical reasons? A surcharge is added at my employers health plan if you are a smoker. Cars got safer with seat belt laws, air bags, and other features because auto insurers worked with the government and automakers for these. Safer cars are now much cheaper to insure than less safe cars.

  3. When you are in RDU soon, you have to eat at Brunch Box (www.thebrunchbox.net/) near the airport and The Original Q Shack (www.theqshackoriginal.com/) near the Durham Bulls ballpark. You won’t be disappointed.
    DM if you would like some company.

  4. Professor Sullivan had a long series of allegations of inappropriate behavior, yet somehow that behavior didn’t warrant a “climate review” of Winthrop House until he decided to join Harvey Weinsten’s legal defense team. Based on how vague the accusations actually are, it sure seems like his defense work is what led to the firing.

    • Sorry, this was caught in the spam filter I use for this site. I don’t think the accusations are that vague, though.