Shakespeare: Hoarder, Playwright, Fake? A Physicist Turns To Statistics For Answers
William Shakespeare via WikipediaIn the absence of solid evidence, statistics can help you decide for yourself. Shakespeare was a grain hoarder and a flagrant tax evader, according to a new study that explores the Bard of Avon's financials. It's kind of surprising, and it means, weirdly, that he may have starred in a real-life version of one of his own tragedies. But that's OK. Another piece of research, in the form of a new book, suggests he couldn't have been a singular jerk: He might not have been a singular person at all. To be clear, the idea that Shakespeare is not Shakespeare, or at least the man named William Shakespeare did not write the works attributed to him, is neither a new nor a popular theory. But it's getting new treatment from a scientist who has long been known for a very different field: Astrophysics. When he isn't studying...