William M. Briggs

Carbon Fibre Masculinity, Homosociality, Gendered Surfaces, & Idiot Academics

Tell you right up front that the only way to be sure of solving the crisis in higher education is to nuke universities from orbit and then salt the grounds…

Culture

Why Americans Left Christianity And Became Nones

The title of the Pew report which we'll discuss is "Why America's 'nones' left religion behind", though, as you can see, I modified it. For good reason. The original Pew…

Statistics

Gonorrhea, Wee P-values, and Tax Increases

Adventurous reader Ted Poppke discovered a peer-reviewed paper that, according to the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), proved that increasing sales tax on booze "caused a 24% decrease in gonorrhea cases…

Statistics

On The Severe (And Unrecognized) Limitations Of fMRI

So this 44-year-old Frenchman---let's call him Jacques---presented for a "mild left leg weakness". The leg bone being connected to the hip bone, etc., it was eventually discovered that Jacques's "skull…

Book review Statistics

Uncertainty Reviewed In The New Criterion

"William Briggs, the civilized world's most amusing statistician." Roger Kimball, author of The Fortunes of Permanence: Culture and Anarchy in an Age of Amnesia, The Rape of the Masters: How…

Philosophy SAMT

Summary Against Modern Thought: Our Intellects Are Not Material

See the first post in this series for an explanation and guide of our tour of Summa Contra Gentiles. All posts are under the category SAMT. Previous post. Our intellects…

Culture Statistics

Reader Query & Assist Request: Health Data In India

Busy Saturday, so a plea from reader Aman Rastogi: Sir, I am a student from Lucknow University, INDIA, pursuing my Masters in Public Health there. Few days back I have…

Culture

Islam vs. The West vs. Russia — Guest Post by Ianto Watt

I've been asked to share 'my notes' regarding my previous posts about Islam vs. The West (Part I, II, III). Especially where I've said that the only way out for…

Scott Locklin on Reader Opinion Requested: What Science Do You Find Sketchy, Exaggerated Or Wrong?July 14, 2025
Well I could mention nutrition and exercise science. Also drug discovery. I'm not sure statins actually help anybody, but I…
Sigmund Fraud on Reader Opinion Requested: What Science Do You Find Sketchy, Exaggerated Or Wrong?July 14, 2025
Psychology followed closely by Sociology. They are pretty neck and neck for the top sketchy positions.
hudbwu on Reader Opinion Requested: What Science Do You Find Sketchy, Exaggerated Or Wrong?July 14, 2025
Recently, I was interested in religious observance in Europe, both west and east. It's surprisingly difficult to find good numbers…
Dan Kurt on Reader Opinion Requested: What Science Do You Find Sketchy, Exaggerated Or Wrong?July 14, 2025
Astronomy/Astro-Physics: * Red Shift as a distance analogue * Black Holes * Gravity Waves * Gravity controlling the structure of…
Phil R on Reader Opinion Requested: What Science Do You Find Sketchy, Exaggerated Or Wrong?July 14, 2025
I'm neither a mathematician or a statistician, although I have a degree in science (geology) and regularly work with numbers…

William M. Briggs

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

Class 57: The Second Best Model

Don’t Lose Sleep Over Research On “Climate Change” & Sleep Apnea

What’s Wrong With The Golf Course Parkinson’s Study

The Unseen Bias In All Science

The Sad End Of Radio

Let’s Play A Game Of Let’s Suppose!

Test Your IQ With These Puzzles! (Not So Easy!)

How Can You Tell If You Have ESP?

Class 56: The Best Model!

Sabine Hossenfelder’s Free Will Folly & The Deadly Sin Of Reification

England’s Mandatory Suicide & Women

On The Probability Of God

Class 55: Models Vs Reality

AI & Chess Both Produce Pre-Coded Output

The Hubris Of Experts: NIH Edition

The Mathematics Of Conspiracy Theories. Part 1: Black Eye Club Example

Class 54: Exchangeability & Parameters

Over-Certainty Of Polygenic Scores

AI & The Dilemma Of Technology

What Are The Chances Thomas Jefferson & John Adams Died On The Fourth of July, 1826?