In this week's episode Patrick and Greg explore the fascinating world of suppressor variables which have the nearly magical, yet fully understandable, distinction of being unrelated to the dependent variable yet serving to enhance the predictive utility of other variables in the model. Along the way they also discuss getting the giggles, giving away our secrets, Sigmund Freud, repressed variance, Greg's defense mechanisms, Keyser Soze, the Cookie Monster, squirrel proof bird feeders, World War II, street magicians, Paul's corpse, and before zero was invented.

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This week we just want to wish everyone a wonderful holiday season, and we look forward to sharing more quant fun in the new year. Please take care everyone!

Stay in contact with Quantitude!

• Web page: quantitudepod.org
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In today’s episode, Greg and Patrick talk about instrumental variables: what they are, how they help to make causal claims, and the many assumptions and challenges associated with them. Along the way they also mention: Festival of Side Dishes, pilot turkeys, gutsy bagpipes, charter schools, drama kids, RCT wieners, Space Force, licking a rainbow, Duranimals, draft lotteries, shoelace color, buttress, mother-in-lawing, and kazoo duets.

Stay in contact with Quantitude!

• Web page: quantitudepod.org
• TwitterX: @quantitudepod
• YouTube: @quantitudepod
• Merch: redbubble.com