JAEBONG SON & JOHN GASTREICH 1. The Second Oldest Profession Ch 1

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JAEBONG SON &JOHN GASTREICH

The Second Oldest ProfessionCh 1

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Predictable Future?

Determinism

History follows a certain pattern.

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Future Imperfection

SituationBias

Chaos

Complexity

Economy

Stock Market

Weather

Obscured by present conditions and trends

When Chaos RainsCh 2

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Basic Assumption in Forecasting Weather

Weather patterns regularly repeat themselves.

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The Problems of Prediction

Nonlinear

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The Problems of Prediction - Nonlinearity

Nonlinear relationships cause variables to increase or decrease at more or less exponential rates.

Cost the customer

$60

Cost the customer

$1,250

Interest of 12% on a constant basis

Interest of 12 %on a compound basis

$100 for thirty years

Paid 10% of interest by mistake

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The Problems of Prediction

Chaos

Nonlinear

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The Problems of Prediction - Chaos

The simulated temperature patterns in the figure never repeat themselves.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1011121314151617181920212223242526272829300

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1

1.2

Hours After Forecast

Actual TemperatureForecasted Temperature

B = 0.4 – 4A2

where A stands for the current temperature and B stands for the temperature one hour into the future.

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The Problems of Prediction – Butterfly Effect

Butterfly

Effect

Chaos

Nonlinear Edward Lorenz

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The Value of Weather Forecasting Is the $4 billion spent each year worldwide

on weather forecasting worth the investment without taking into account the problems mentioned above?

Why did God create economist?In order to make weather forecasters look good.

The Dismal ScientistsCh 3

Economists have forecast nine of the last five recessions.

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Theory of General Equilibrium

Inherently stable

Dampen external shock

Restores itself to equilibrium

The economy is predictable.

The Economy as a Complex System

No Natural Laws

Complex systems have no natural laws governing their behavior at either their micro-level (individual humans) or their macro-level (the economy).

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Steven N. Durlauf

The Economy as a Complex System

No Natural Laws

Cannot be

Dissected

Complex systems cannot be dissected into their components, because the systems arise from the numerous interactions among the components.

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The Economy as a Complex System

No Natural Laws

Cannot be

Dissected

Positive &Negative Feedback

Loops

Complex systems are so highly interconnected with numerous positive and negative feedback loops that they often have counterintuitive cause-and-effect results.

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The Economy as a Complex System

No Natural Laws

Cannot be

Dissected

Positive &Negative Feedback

Loops

Self-Generated Turmoil

Complex systems exhibit periods of order and predictability, punctuated by unexpected moments of self-generated turmoil.

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The Economy as a Complex System

No Natural Laws

Cannot be

Dissected

Positive &Negative Feedback

Loops

Self-Generated Turmoil

No Fixed Cycle

Complex systems have no fixed cycles. = Histories do not repeat themselves.

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The Economy as a Complex Adaptive System

No Natural Laws

Cannot be

Dissected

Positive &Negative Feedback

Loops

Self-Generated Turmoil

Adaptionand

Evolution

No Fixed Cycle

Complex adaptive systems adapt to their environments and evolve.

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The Economy as a Nonlinear Complex Adaptive System

No Natural Laws

Nonlinear

Cannot be

Dissected

Positive &Negative Feedback

Loops

Self-Generated Turmoil

Adaptionand

Evolution

No Fixed Cycle

The existence of these nonlinear relationships does not conform to the general principles of the theory of General Equilibrium.

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The Economy as a Nonlinear Complex Adaptive System with Erroneous Data

No Natural Laws

Nonlinear

Cannot be

Dissected

Erroneous Data

Positive &Negative Feedback

Loops

Self-Generated Turmoil

Adaptionand

Evolution

No Fixed Cycle

Economic data are scant and erroneous.•Questionable government survey data, false information from respondent, revised historical statistics.

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Human as Irrational Actors

No Natural Laws

Nonlinear

Cannot be

Dissected

Erroneous Data

Positive &Negative Feedback

Loops

Irrational

HumanSelf-

Generated Turmoil

Adaptionand

Evolution

No Fixed Cycle

Robert Heilbroner “At the root of the economic matter lies man, but it is not man the ‘economic’ being, but man the psychological and social being, whom we understand only imperfectly.”

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Recommendations from the Author To remake economics into a much more

scientific field, economists should: Cast off deterministic economic theories and

perspectives. Start to study the economy as a complex

system that is far more dynamic than the idea about the economy contained in today’s textbooks.

Look more to biological science than to physics for explanations of how the economy works, since the economy is made up of biological units.

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Recommendations from the Author cont’d Economics must use the scientific method,

which requires developing theories based on real-world observation and then testing them through ever more observation.

The Market GurusCh 4

The stock market is part of the economy and thus a complex system.

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Speed

No Natural Laws

Nonlinear

Cannot be

DissectedMessine

ss of Data

Positive &Negative Feedback

Loops

Irrational

HumanSelf-

Generated Turmoil

Adaptionand

Evolution

No Fixed Cycle

Speed makes the stock market much more dynamic and complex than the economy

Speed

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Irrational Herd Mentality & Mass Psychology

No Natural Laws

Nonlinear

Cannot be

DissectedMessine

ss of Data

Positive &Negative Feedback

Loops

Irrational

HumanSelf-

Generated Turmoil

Adaptionand

Evolution

No Fixed Cycle

The stock market is clearly driven by irrational herd mentality and mass psychology: A psychological soup of fear, greed, hope, superstition, and a host of other emotions and motives.

Speed

Irrational Herd

Mentality & mass

Psychology

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The Random Walk Theory

The random walk theory states that stock market prices evolve according to a random walk and thus the prices of the stock market cannot be predicted.

Technical Analysis(history of prices)

Fundamental Analysis

(future earnings, a discount rate)

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EMH and Irrationality of the Stock Market

The Efficient Market Hypothesis (EMH) (1960s by Fama) The stock market knows everything that is

knowable about future corporate earnings and thus prices all stocks at their true values.

However, the market also responds to news events in a strange way. The crash of the U.S. stock market in 1987The irrational dimension of the stock

market means that the EMH is at least partially flawed.

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Lessons Learned

The only certain things in life are death and taxes.

Faulty assumptions must lead to wrong research conclusions.

A small mistake could lead to major errors. Psychological bias affects predictions and

research results. Increased complexity degrades forecasting

accuracy. If possible, divide a problem into small

pieces.

Checking the “Unchecked Population”Ch 5

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Gloom & Doom

The Ice Age Cometh The End: The Imminent Ice Age and How We Can Stop It! (1988)

Ice ages are predictable Spread rock dust over earth’s surface

Global Famine Famine – 1975! (1967)

“Starvation will become widespread famine” But, undernourished people declined from 942M to 786M (1970 – 1990)

Societal Collapse Exponential pop. growth outstrip natural resources

Easter Island

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Population Momentum & Predictability

Total population is predictable for decades (U.S.)

Demographers still miss the turning points

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World Population

Forecasts accurate for decades

Remained flat until 200 years ago

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County Populations

Accuracy increases with size

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Life Expectancy

Death is predictable (U.S.)

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Death Rate (U.S.)

Death rate easy to predict; little change

Forecasters miss turning points

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HIV Predictions Overstated

Public Health Service – 85 experts

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Unborn Difficult to Forecast

20-year forecasts are accurate for exist population

Demographers miss turning points

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Contraceptives

Strong predictor of fertility

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Developing Countries

Exponential growth only in developing countries

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Immigration (U.S.)

Bureau of Census underestimates numbers

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Chapter 5 Conclusions

Nature abhors exponential growth & curbs it Question: When & how?

8 billion? 10 billion? More?

Future depends on uncertain forces Global cooperation Technology

Science Fact and FictionCh 6

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Mind-Boggling Leaps in Technology Older generations have witnessed

Television Radar The laser Atomic energy Manned space travel

Younger generations have witnessed Information technology Genetic engineering

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Technology Forecasting

Evolution of Technology Forecasting

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Flow of Technology Forecasting

From organizations to media

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World’s Largest Technology Forecaster

Japanese government’s technology forecasting

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Technology Forecasting Techniques Brainstorming techniques

Delphi method Nominal group process

Trend extrapolation techniques S-curve Trend analysis Correlation analysis

Analytic techniques Cross-impact analysis Analytic hierarchy process

Relevance trees Systems dynamics Scenario development

Real-world situation analysis Case study method Lead-user analysis

“Useless in predicting the most significant

events in the evolution of technology”

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S-Curve

Pro: Useful to forecast established technologies Con: Hard to predict size and shape of S-curve

Market size Development speed

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Technological Darwinism

Uncertainty in technological evolution

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Moore’s Law

Increasing density of microprocessors

The FuturistsCh 7

Faith Popcorn John Naisbitt

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Infirm Foundations of Social Science Society – a complex system

Popular attitudes & beliefs Economic conditions Technological advances Population trends Political events Wars Weather

All Unpredictable

Society is Unpredictable

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The Newtonian Socialists

Believed If Newton can predict paths of planets, we

can predict social evolution Social progress in inevitable as Newton’s

laws of motion

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Futurology

Coates (author of Future Work) There is no single future We can see those alternative futures We can influence the future We have a more obligation to influence the

future However, most futurists

Argue strongly for a single vision Do not identify alternatives Say, “There will be.”

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Trend Spotters

Commercial trend spotters Search for emerging social trends Sell their “discoveries” to business & gov’t

Firms Gallup Yankelovich

Gurus John Naisbitt Faith Popcorn

Corporate ChaosCh 8

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Strategies of Management

Boston Consulting Group’s growth-share matrix

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The Unpredictable Future

Realm of future possibilities

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Opportunity

Realm of current possibilities

The Certainty of Living in an Uncertain World

Ch 9

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Thinking Critically

People are vulnerable to false prophets We fear uncertainty Seek counsel of those who “know” the

future Innately gullible

Believe rather than question Attribute meaning to chance events

Driven by herd instinct Easily swayed by voices of authority

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Self-Defense Against Futurists

React with informed skepticism Ask 5 questions

Based on hard science? How sound are the methods? Forecaster has credible credentials? Forecaster has a proven track record? Is my belief influenced by personal beliefs

& wishful thinking?

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Dr Browning Predicts Earthquake

Prediction New Madrid, Missouri Near epicenter of 1811 most severe

earthquake On Dec 3, 1990 (plus/minus 48 hours)

Mass Panic Reaction Schools & factories closed Shopping centers taped up windows Residents left town & called Red Cross Rumors that town reservoir dropped 15 feet Media: New York Times to Poland

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Questions

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