Statistics – Page 197 – William M. Briggs

The Problem Of Grue Isn’t; Or, A Gruesome Non-Paradox About Induction

Skepticism about induction happens only among academic philosophers, and only in print. Tell an induction skeptic to take a long walk off a short dock or hint that his health…

Statistics

Please Don’t Smooth Your (Social Media) Data!

Don't Don't smooth your data and then use that smoothed data as input to other analysis. You will fool yourself. You will make over-confident decisions. It is the wrong thing…

Culture Statistics

Humanae Vitae & The Sexual Revolution: Theories And Predictions

This corrected post originally ran 14 May 2014. But given rumblings in the Church, that it is Lent, and the importance of the message to all of us, it is…

Statistics

Global Warming’s Shark Jumping Moment

Travel day today, so something light and airy---and incomplete. President Obama, presumably sacrificing a tee time, went to keyboard and typed these words: This is a big moment in the…

Philosophy Statistics

Truth, Knowledge, Belief, & Gettier Problems

Proof Isn't All That The first section can be skipped for those who know what necessary versus conditional truth is. I recall an anecdote about John von Neumann which had…

Statistics

Don’t Say “Natural Variability”

Word that the climate of doom we were promised (repeatedly) has not obtained has begun leaking out. Climatologists have known this for quite some time, but now even environmental activists…

Statistics

A Common, Unfortunate, Avoidable, Devastating Error In Statistics

It's a doozy, this error of ours. So ubiquitous is it that it's hardly noticeable. Yet it is sinking us into scientism and wild overconfidence. Every time it appears, both…

Culture Statistics

The Coming Cancer Panic

Maybe it won't be cancer. Maybe it will be irumodic syndrome or Clarke's disease. Or maybe it will be something else. But probably it will be cancer. If I had…

Cary D Cotterman on Creating Microbial Monsters To Terrorize OurselvesMay 18, 2026
I just read an article based on "studies" that attempted to panic me about the potential deadliness of down-filled pillows…
Brian (bulaoren) on Creating Microbial Monsters To Terrorize OurselvesMay 18, 2026
Threat avoidance seems pretty instinctual. Threat awareness, on the other hand, depends upon the scope of information before us. Sadly,…
Tars Tarkas on Creating Microbial Monsters To Terrorize OurselvesMay 18, 2026
"What are these airy indefinite words? Propaganda, that’s what." Propaganda is the default setting for the English language press. Most…
Tony Cooke on Creating Microbial Monsters To Terrorize OurselvesMay 18, 2026
The description of the possible transfer of the Hanta virus reminded me of the woman who sang "I danced with…
The Errors of Mr. Coffin on the PP signature and Apostolic Blessings – Roma Locuta Est on Munus, Ministerium & Pope Emeritus Benedict — Guest Post by Fr John RickertMay 16, 2026
[…] However, for the record I will note that myself and others (e.g., Ryan Grant, and Fr. John Rickert, HERE…