13 September 2003 - optimization

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Computers teach us that standardization wins over optimization; the bad drives out the good. Democracy says that incompetence is better than corruption; the truth will out. But standardizing on corruption and optimizing incompetence appear to be metastable.

clue:

“Metastable” means out-of-equilibrium but able to persist for a long time.

give me a clue so sweet and true

the Daily Whale || copyright 2003, 2024 Jay J.P. Scott <jay@satirist.org>