Qui Ante Nos

A pint is a pound, the world around

Except everywhere

Jun 15 • Scott Olesen

1

On giving advice

Francis Bacon wrote that “the greatest trust, between man and man, is the trust of giving counsel.” Having received advice I did not want, or heard…

Jun 8 • Scott Olesen

3

The SIR model was a demonstration designed to make a point

It was not meant for general disease modeling

Jun 1 • Scott Olesen

February 2026

Respect for Institutions Day

February 9 and the March of Loyalty

Feb 10 • Scott Olesen

Winning hearts and minds

In the Second Punic War

Feb 2 • Scott Olesen

2

January 2026

goons.ai

My AI is bigger than your AI

Jan 21 • Scott Olesen

On delighting in the world

I always find Christmas a bit weird.

Jan 1 • Scott Olesen

3

1

December 2025

On giving money to soldiers

Marcus Didius Julianus, who became the emperor of Rome in 193 AD, is most famous for how he won the throne: by auction.

Dec 29, 2025 • Scott Olesen

3

Confusion of Confusions

Why is a stock worth what it’s worth?

Dec 9, 2025 • Scott Olesen

1

November 2025

The penny and our changing constitution

Since the United States established its own currency in 1792, we’ve produced a number of coins that have since been discontinued.

Nov 17, 2025 • Scott Olesen

2

The capital concentration coefficient

How much “stuff” is in a country’s “capital”?

Nov 10, 2025 • Scott Olesen

1

Museums are doing it wrong

And what to do about it. Part Three.

Nov 3, 2025 • Scott Olesen

2

1