William M. Briggs

The Doomsday Argument Is Doomed: Flawed Application Of Bayes

The WSJ on 27 June 2019 published an essay by William Poundstone on the hoary Doomsday Argument. Many are fooled by this equation, which contains a fundamental, even glaring, flaw.…

Culture

Your Most Important Choice: Part I — Guest Post by Ianto Watt

Ante Up The world is a pretty confusing place. Considering the diverse nature of mankind's varied belief systems, that's not surprising. But that doesn't explain the depths of man's seeming…

Philosophy

Sphere Eversion, Free Will & Infinite Powers

Can a sphere be turned inside out, such that the outside becomes the inside, and vice versa, without creasing or tearing or poking a hole in the sphere? Obviously not.…

Statistics

The Epidemiologist Fallacy Strikes Again — Pesticides & Autism

Long-time readers will recall the epidemiologist fallacy is a shotgun marriage of the ecological fallacy and wee p-values. Make that and/or confidence intervals. For confidence intervals are equivalent to p-values…

Class Statistics

So-Called Random Numbers And Encryption: Update With Real-World Example

Psst. Hey, buddy. Word to the wise: "GQNZWZURUDPBFWDMEGBYIXGBGZRSVNHWOIQPPSH GXUVMZ". Keep it secret. That odd string of letters and spaces (well, once space) contains an encrypted message. In order to read…

Philosophy SAMT

Summary Against Modern Thought: Celestial Bodies Don’t Influence Our Bodies

Previous post. Today we start the second part of Book Three. Only another year and a half or so to go in Book Three. Then, finally, Book four! Our intellects…

Culture

The Week In Doom — Reality Based Ads Banned Edition

This has been a most busy week, the Doom accelerating, which accounts for the length of this post. Item The Case for Gay Reparation (NYT) Other countries are taking steps…

Statistics

Case Study Of How Easy It Is To Go Wrong

We used to talk a lot about the amygdala here: Yet Another Study "Proves" Liberal, Conservative Brain Differences (wee ps, amygdalas), Scientists Suddenly Discover Men Don't Understand Women (wee ps,…

Uncle Mike on On The Cult Of The Victim & Why We Must Reject ItAugust 18, 2025
Victimhood is now several degrees removed from the alleged oppression. Example: the new Spotted Owl Plan Amendment mentions HISBIPOCs throughout…
Johnno on On The Cult Of The Victim & Why We Must Reject ItAugust 18, 2025
Briggs, you've neglected to mention the final solution to the victim oppressor problem... Baptism. Get baptized! And watch as all…
Tars Tarkas on On The Cult Of The Victim & Why We Must Reject ItAugust 18, 2025
It's so much worse than you say. Take the Holocaust for example. We Americans are blood libeled for it, despite…
Michael Dowd on On The Cult Of The Victim & Why We Must Reject ItAugust 18, 2025
True Christians when victimized for their beliefs accept this as a positive thing, an opportunity to imitate Christ, the ultimate…
gareth on Class 61: Does This Guy Have ESP? IIAugust 16, 2025
Errr... Calculating the probability of what we did see should be = 100% So why calculate it? (Enquiring minds, etc.)

William M. Briggs

The Key Role Of Probability & Chance In Science

On The Cult Of The Victim & Why We Must Reject It

Class 61: Does This Guy Have ESP? II

Funding Increases To Foster Even More Cheating In Science

Compulsory Moral Bioenhancement Should Be Covert Says Academic Who Says Ticks Should Be Genetically Modified To Stop You Eating Meat

Lying Increases Trust In Science, Says Academic

Class 60: Does This Guy Have ESP? 1

Lady Pilots Better Than Men, Says The Science

Academics Say It’s Morally Obligatory To Bioengineer Ticks To Stop You Eating Meat

New Definition Of Death To Increase Organ Harvest Bounty

Class 59: The Hardest Hypothesis In The World

The If I Were God Fallacy & Evolution

Universities Need To Be Made To Lose Prestige

Only Credentialed Artists Can Appreciate This

Does Watching TV Cause Autism?

Peer-Reviewed Research: Men Find Looking At Nearly Naked Women Distracting

A Week’s Vacation

Class 58: Hypothesis Testing Is All Wrong

Vegetarians Crave Power And Success More Than Meat Eaters Do, Study Finds

Jung’s Synchronicity & Coincidence

Reader Opinion Requested: What Science Do You Find Sketchy, Exaggerated Or Wrong?