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"Do you love me? Will you love me forever? Do you need me? Will you never leave me? Will you make me so happy for the rest of my life? Will you take me away and will you make me your wife?"

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Paradise by the Dashboard Light  "What was the turning point of the Revolutionary War?" This question was posed  during an Amercian economic history class. Feeling as if I were a Jeopardy contestant with the right answer, I offered that winning the Battle of Saratoga convinced the French the revolutionaries could win the war so they joined the Americans as a way of fighting their old nemesis the British. The professor was not impressed and continued " What were the events that turned the Battle of Saratoga?" or rather Why Did Burgoyne surrender?  I had no idea. I was embarrassed and my classmates were slinking away from me as if ignorance were contagious. I responded that I was vague on the details but would have a comprehensive answer for the next class. I escaped further embarrassment while assuming the responsibility to report on the events leading up to the battle of Saratoga and the British surrender( which by the way is quite interesting). But I di

“Diversity and independence are important because the best collective decisions are the product of disagreement and contest, not consensus or compromise.” ― James Surowiecki, The Wisdom of Crowds

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Galton has a theory Bachelor Nation is geared up for   Fantasy Suite   week. The date package will take place in Peru . Overnights without cameras are included as we see our contestants get the chance to enhance their connection with Ari and vice versa.   We know one of the ladies will get sent home. The remaining two set up a showdown for the final rose. Ari maintains the final rose will result in an engagement and marriage. Bachelor Nation however has seen this movie before and harbors doubts.   Kendall trying a last stand In fact, I have been pondering the wisdom of crowds while we see Ari wade thru the swamp of indecision.   Sir Francis Galton The “Wisdom of Crowds” theory was advanced by Francis Galton, a polymath who happened to be related to our favorite naturalist Charles Darwin ( a half cousin) . This guy Galton   was remarkable. He was a n English Victorian, statistician, polymath, sociologist, psychologist, anthropologist, eugenicist, tro

“By the time you swear you're his, Shivering and sighing. And he vows his passion is, Infinite, undying. Lady make note of this -- One of you is lying.” ― Dorothy Parker

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The Emperor Penguins in a courtship ritual   Nature presents some remarkable courtship processes as individuals select a partner in order to reproduce. We have some marvelous spectacles such as an eloquent dance by flailing the bluest of feet (Blue-Footed Bobbies) to elephant seals battling violently over access to the females. How can we not enjoy the touching courtship of the emperor penguins we saw in The March of the Penguins.  In nature and in the human world , we often see  males work tirelessly to advertise their strength, overall health, and mating desirability.   The Blue footed Boobies in their courtship dance  The Boobies  close  the dance with a big finsih Scientists have classified various models of sexual selection in the animal kingdom.The Good Gene model manifests itself when females tend to choose mates that display honest indicators of the male’s ability to pass on genes that will lead to greater future survival and reproductive success of her of