And I fully endorse the media theory that analysis is neither left nor right.

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But in France, the home of literary theory, and Germany, the fatherland of textual analysis, free-ranging study of the Koran continues.

ECONOMIST: Muslims and the Koran

The narrative he builds is one that compels us to become more comfortable with math and statistics, one that suggests we should take advantage of machines where possible, and one in which we cannot lose the human element guiding the analysis if we want to avoid catastrophic chaos-theory driven failures to which machines are susceptible.

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One starting point in any analysis of failed countries is the theory of Max Weber, the father of social science.

ECONOMIST: Failed states

Although, at least in theory, the FTC has the authority to go beyond traditional antitrust analysis and case law when using its authority, the courts have been unkind when the agency has chosen to do so largely because it has never issued clear guidance on what actually constitutes unfair methods of competition.

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Judges should pay more attention to this analysis, since they base their generous fee awards upon the theory that firms like Robbins Geller need a rich multiple to continue the valuable work of suing corporations.

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The algorithm could be of great interest to Twitter, which could charge a premium for ads linked to popular topics, but it also represents a new approach to statistical analysis that could, in theory, apply to any quantity that varies over time: the duration of a bus ride, ticket sales for films, maybe even stock prices.

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