Statistics – Page 178 – William M. Briggs

This Week In Doom: Death Education & Blind Science

This week, entries from readers (I'm woefully behind). Science Is Blind Blind on purpose. Elizabeth Murphy recalls a lecture "delivered at Memorial University in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador recently…

Statistics

Stream: Scientists Claim Zapping Brains With Magnets Can Treat Belief In God

Apologies to all. I thought this was going to run on Thursday, so I'm a day behind. If you're one of the folks who asked about upcoming articles, these have…

Statistics

Why Statistics Can’t Discover Cause, And Bad Priors

My mailbag is filling up. Today two questions from readers, both about statistics. Feel free to send yours in on any subject. Tomorrow is a doozy. Question 1 From reader…

Statistics

On The Supposed Newly Discovered “Gay Genes.” Or, The Importance Of Model Skill

Great news! The press and activists are touting a study which claims to have discovered the genes that "make" somebody gay. So get your enwombed baby's DNA scanned and make…

Statistics

Enjoy Coffee? You Could Be A Psychopath. Or, Time For A Two-Year Moratorium Of Questionnaire Science

The headline blared "Enjoy coffee or a gin and tonic? You could be a psychopath: People with dark personalities prefer bitter foods and drinks". And then the bullet points: *…

Statistics

How Many Deaths Does Reading @Voxdotcom Cause?

Bernd Felsche ?sends the breaking Vox news story "How many deaths did Volkswagen's pollution scandal cause? A back-of-the-envelope estimate." This article may represent the triumph of "explanatory" journalism. Volkswagen was…

Statistics

There Is No Such Thing As A 1000-Year Flood

Phrases like "100 year rainfalls" or floods or whatever for whatever period of time are awful. They convey an improper idea of uncertainty. The phrase "X year event" is based…

Statistics

Newly Discovered Ocean Cooling Process Implies Climate Stabler Than We Knew

Today's post is at The Stream: "Newly Discovered Ocean Cooling Process Implies Climate Stabler Than We Knew." A new paper about how certain chemicals produced in the ocean might cause…

Johnno on How Experts Use “Calamities” to Find Official Victims & Gain PowerMay 6, 2026
Hence we descriptively say in plural... a "calamity of victims." Or a "catastrophe of Expurts." Or an "academy of failures."…
Brian (bulaoren) on How Experts Use “Calamities” to Find Official Victims & Gain PowerMay 6, 2026
So, three circumlocutors walk into a bar...
Cary D Cotterman on How Experts Use “Calamities” to Find Official Victims & Gain PowerMay 6, 2026
When an academic paper has "intersectional," "decolonial," "disabilities," "intersect," "social," "structural," "injustices," and "diverse" in one sentence, you know you've…
Bill Hankel on How Experts Use “Calamities” to Find Official Victims & Gain PowerMay 6, 2026
I decided to accept your challenge, knowing with near certainty that your intuition was correct. I invested 15-20 seconds total…
C-Marie on Richard Dawkins, The Big Muscles Fallacy & AI PachinkoMay 5, 2026
Sooo sad about Richard Dawkins. I just prayed for Holy Spirit revelation of Jesus Christ to him. Here is hoping…