Statistics – Page 179 – William M. Briggs

The Logic Puzzle That Is “Stumping The Internet.” Update: Now With Solution

The Washington Post thinks the puzzle above is hideously difficult and says that it has become an "obsession". The writer there certainly finds it sweat-inducing: "As the problem spread far…

Philosophy Statistics

Space’s 10 Mistakes People Make When Arguing Science

Reader Ken pointed us to Space.com's click-me-click-me! article "The 10 Mistakes People Make When Arguing Science". Since everybody loves numbered lists, I'll duplicate their efforts here, using their mistakes. Isn't…

Fun Statistics

Masters Statistics & (Some) Predictions

Here's a view of the winning scores from par since the inception of the tournament. The early years saw little variability, but since the 60s there were a lot more…

Statistics

P-Value Hacking Is Finally Being Noticed

Since I'm on the road, all typos today are free of charge. Some reasonably good news to report. A peer-reviewed paper: "The fickle P value generates irreproducible results" by Lewis…

Statistics

What Evidence Would Persuade You That Man-Made Climate Change Is Real?

Somebody named Ronald Bailey (he isn't anybody I know) at the inaptly named Reason asked the good question which heads this post. Second thought: the question is awful. No scientist…

Culture Statistics

Global Warming Hypocrisy: Or, Science Is Politics

Lefties take money, too In an interview with far-left New York Times, activist and part-time scientist Michael Oppenheimer says "nothing follows" from his taking moola from the EDF (Environmental Defense…

Statistics

Bill Nye The Science Guy Confuses Scientific Uncertainty Versus Doubt

On the road, so something quick. Reader Paul Mullen writes: Briggs, A fellow at the salt mine was thoughtful enough to leave a copy in the break room of April's…

Philosophy Statistics

Probability’s Empirical Bias

Bit of logic (a favorite example) from our teacher Lewis Carroll: given "All cats understand French and that some chickens are cats", what can we say about the proposition "Some…

Zundfolge on How Did We Do In Our 2025 Predictions?December 31, 2025
Wow, I have never been as far off as I was this last year. I'll have to give some thought…
Chaeremon on Why The Drake Equation FailsDecember 31, 2025
even when figures relate to observations, mathematics can only help with finding errors in equations -- against measured data. so,…
Nate on How Did We Do In Our 2025 Predictions?December 31, 2025
Happy New Year! I seem to have neglected to make a 2025 prediction (it would have likely been wrong anyway).…
Brian (bulaoren) on How Did We Do In Our 2025 Predictions?December 31, 2025
Most of those predictions are pretty bleak. I fear that pessimism evolves into cynicism when we feel we have a…
shawn marshall on How Did We Do In Our 2025 Predictions?December 31, 2025
I think I would have won if the Europeans had not prevented Trump from ending the Ukraine war and announcing…