Statistics – Page 187 – William M. Briggs

Evolution Under Fixed Constraints; Or, Why Random Changes Don’t Cut It

See if this analogy makes sense. A ramp onto which you loose a ball, which can roll down and fall into one of three slots. The configuration is such that…

Culture Philosophy Statistics

Do You Believe In Global Warming Because Of The Seriousness Of The Charges?

An activist tells you, "Based on my theory of rampant, out-of-control global warming, otters, driven mad by the heat, will take to the streets and destroy mankind, just like apes…

Statistics

Class Report: How Not To Teach Statistics

It's over. Two solid weeks of 9 to 5 to 9 and beyond statistics. Plus a few cocktails and cookouts and camaraderie. I'm exhausted. The students are mostly later early…

Culture Statistics

Casual Sex Is Good for You, Says New Biased Study

In a ridiculously biased "study", a researcher has shown that some college students who self-select to participate in a study of "causal" sex and who say they like having "casual"…

Philosophy Statistics

Probabilities Aren’t Decisions

The title says it all. But its presence implies, and it is true, that people often mistake the two. If you decide to bet fifty bucks the USA beats Germany,…

Philosophy Statistics

The Biggest Error In Regression

I know, I know: we're sick to death of regression, but we have to cover the biggest error, which is how the Deadly Sin of Reification happens. You have a…

Philosophy Statistics

Free Will The Result Of ‘Background Noise’?

Once again the lack of metaphysical training has led some scientists to say an incredibly silly thing. That free will "could be the result of 'background noise' in the brain."…

Philosophy Statistics

The Applicability Of Experiments

Every probability problem has the form Pr(Q|E), where Q is the proposition of interest and E the evidence, premises, or "data" probative (or not) of E. Change the evidence, change…

Ed on Class 65: A Last Plea Never To Use Or Trust Statistical Evidence Like ThisSeptember 18, 2025
As a teacher who's seen, in the eyes of many a student (pun intended), the inglorious mist of complete misunderstanding,…
Uncle Mike on Class 65: A Last Plea Never To Use Or Trust Statistical Evidence Like ThisSeptember 18, 2025
I disagree with your hypothesis that "my career has largely been a failure". You shouldn't expect the world to immediately…
McChuck on Class 65: A Last Plea Never To Use Or Trust Statistical Evidence Like ThisSeptember 18, 2025
Modern scientific statistics is nothing more than a roleplaying game based on a 20 sided die. The game master (study…
Brian (bulaoren) on Lacent’s Vaccination Model Says What Its Told To SaySeptember 17, 2025
Sorry, the same printer's devils who occasionally sabotage Dr. Brigg's publications must have attacked my previous post; Should read; "ouroboros".…
Brian (bulaoren) on Lacent’s Vaccination Model Says What Its Told To SaySeptember 17, 2025
I just thunk up a term to describe this scientiststic strain of thought (hmm, is that one pun or two?);…