Statistics – Page 151 – William M. Briggs

A Coincidence: Coyne Zinged Me Before I Him — Or, The Coyne Fallacy Redux

After posting yesterday's article, Jerry Coyne Doesn't Have Free Will (poor fellow), I immediately saw hits coming to my place from Coyne's. It turned out that, unbeknownst to me, the…

Culture Fun Statistics

Predictions For 2017—Register Yours Today!

Once more unto the breach! We did well last year, but we had the advantage of a neat unambiguous set of predictions all could make, i.e. the United States primaries…

Culture Statistics

How’d We Do On Our 2016 Predictions?

This was an interesting year because we had a general dichotmous proposition of interest to many; or rather, two. Who would win the (Republican) primary and who would win the…

Statistics

The Politicization Of Science Organizations: The Firing Of Michael Lubell

What might pass for a small item reveals much about the state of science, and in particular about science organizations. The stately American Physical Society, a political-scientific, or scientific-political, or…

Statistics

Scott Adams’s Climate Science Challenge

Scott Adams's Climate Science Challenge is of interest---thanks to reader Francsois for bringing it to our attention---because of his name-brand recognition. Here is the gist: So today's challenge is to…

Culture Statistics

Some Statistics On What The Sexual Rebellion Wraught

I'm always complaining of statistics gone awry, but a constant diet of bad news can lead to bad things, like a desire to listen to NPR or to use PowerPoint.…

Book review Statistics

Mathematical Association of America Reviews Uncertainty: The Soul of Modeling, Probability & Statistics

William J. Satzer at the Mathematical Association of America reviewed Uncertainty: The Soul of Modeling, Probability & Statistics. Here it is (ellipsis below original). This is a book about probability…

Statistics

Stream: Who’s Better At Playing Doctor, Boys Or Girls?

Stream: Who's Better At Playing Doctor, Boys Or Girls? The NBC News story "Female Doctors Outperform Male Doctors, According to Study" makes these bold claims. Patients treated by women are…

Tars Tarkas on Why The Drake Equation FailsDecember 30, 2025
"The Drake and Fermi are not flawed logically: one can put probabilities to any question." The Drake equation always struck…
NLR on Why The Drake Equation FailsDecember 30, 2025
There may or may not be extraterrestrial life, but if we ever see some, I suspect there will be surprises.…
Douglas Skinner on Why The Drake Equation FailsDecember 30, 2025
The other bookend paired with the Drake/Fermi speculations is Evolution. In this January's edition of First Things Magazine comes a…
C-Marie on Canada Invents New Euphemism For Doctor KillingsDecember 29, 2025
God loves you. Let Him take you home when it is time. In the mean time, give to our Father…
C. P. Benischek on Merry Christmas!December 29, 2025
God Rest Ye Merry, Gentle Briggs! Don’t dismay, Christmas isn’t yet over, but rather just warming up. A Child is…