William M. Briggs

Can A Scientist Believe In Miracles? — Guest Post by Bob Kurland

Visit Kurland's site for more. "Miracles always relate to the faith. That is why a belief in miracles is not a vacation from reason, a little holiday from the tedious…

Statistics

Another Drake Equation Paper Shows Why Drake Always Fails

We've seen the Drake equation in many forms, none of them very impressive. They all share the same failing, as we'll see. Two fellows, Frank and Sullivan, have another go.…

Podcast

You—Yes, You—Are Doing Probability & Statistics Wrong — Podcast

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rNCoSp8w9I Download MP3 Fellow users of probability, statistics, and computer "learning" algorithms, physics and social science modelers, big data wranglers, philosophers of science, epistemologists; other respected citizens. We're doing it…

Statistics

The Gambler’s Fallacy Proves Classical Statistics (Frequentist & Bayes) Fails

Everybody who's anybody---which makes, as we'll see, a lot of nobodies---knows the gambler's fallacy. Gambler watches the roulette wheel come up red six times running and says to himself, "Black…

Culture

Pride In Objectively Disordered Sexual Desires?

https://twitter.com/NYPD34Pct/status/747135422459940864 Yesterday was "Pride" day. Pride. Pride? I know thy pride, and the naughtiness of thine heart. No, surely not that kind of pride. Pride goeth before destruction, and an…

Philosophy SAMT

Summary Against Modern Thought: Good And Evil Aren’t Wholly Opposites

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. We're deep…

Culture

Brexit: A Decision By A Democracy

Picture from here (somehow the Twitter embedding didn't work). So, Brexit. A democracy has spoken. The will of the people being sovereign, or so says the theory which all love…

Culture

Britain Free. France, Texas Next? Brexit Open Thread

https://twitter.com/Outsideness/status/746172629166391296 Last day of class. Your regular broadcast resumes tomorrow. Wales and England, except in the metropolitan areas (surprise), said Leave and Scotland and Northern Ireland said Remain. With the…

Jim Fedako on Reader Poll: Shorter or Longer, Frequent or Rarer Posts?June 4, 2026
Whatever schedule keeps you posting is fine by me. As far as email notifications, I don’t always get them so…
Uncle Mike on Reader Poll: Shorter or Longer, Frequent or Rarer Posts?June 4, 2026
Yes. Quite an amazing oeuvre. Nothing like it elsewhere. KUTGW.
Blaine Wieland on Reader Poll: Shorter or Longer, Frequent or Rarer Posts?June 4, 2026
Dr.Briggs, I'm a long-time subscriber. (Years and years.) What I have always liked is that you write because you have…
Tars Tarkas on Reader Poll: Shorter or Longer, Frequent or Rarer Posts?June 4, 2026
How about a monthly or bi-weekly podcast? The Z-Man had this and it rounded out his written articles. Many of…
Brian (bulaoren) on Reader Poll: Shorter or Longer, Frequent or Rarer Posts?June 4, 2026
Dear Dr. Briggs For some years now, I have enjoyed reading your posts while I wash down my morning vitamins…

William M. Briggs

Reader Poll: Shorter or Longer, Frequent or Rarer Posts?

No Model Will Save Us: Pope Leo, the Miserostat, and AI’s Woke Coders

How High an IQ Must A Person Have To Be Executed?

Class 90: Simple (Optimal) Decisions

Shocking Abortion Numbers: Death Distributions Show We’re Living Longer

Blessed Memorial Day; No Class; See You Wednesday

Why There Are (Probably) No UFOs: “Climate Change”

Creating Microbial Monsters To Terrorize Ourselves

Class 89: The Measure Most Modelers Forget: Skill Examples

The Shocking Conclusion of the HR Trilemma!

The HR Trilemma: Which Door Decides Your Fate?

Capital Punishment Deters Crime More Than The Death Penalty

How Experts Use “Calamities” to Find Official Victims & Gain Power

Richard Dawkins, The Big Muscles Fallacy & AI Pachinko

Class 88: The Most Neglected Concept: Skill

The Red-Blue Button Dilemma & Its Surprising Answer

UFO Reports About To Blast Off!

Class 87: Calibration & Conformal Prediction: Examples

Noticing Differences Between Races Does Not Pay

What Are The Chances Of All These Scientists Dying, Killed, Or Going Missing?

Class 86: Calibration & Conformal Prediction: Theory

Reader Poll: Shorter or Longer, Frequent or Rarer Posts?

No Model Will Save Us: Pope Leo, the Miserostat, and AI’s Woke Coders

Can A Scientist Believe In Miracles? — Guest Post by Bob Kurland

Another Drake Equation Paper Shows Why Drake Always Fails

You—Yes, You—Are Doing Probability & Statistics Wrong — Podcast

The Gambler’s Fallacy Proves Classical Statistics (Frequentist & Bayes) Fails

Pride In Objectively Disordered Sexual Desires?

Summary Against Modern Thought: Good And Evil Aren’t Wholly Opposites

Brexit: A Decision By A Democracy

Britain Free. France, Texas Next? Brexit Open Thread

There Is No Culture Without Inequality: Stove 1

Impose Your Beliefs Before They Impose Theirs

Telekinesis: Ideas In Our Reenchantment & Rectification

The Physics Of Blessings: Ideas In Our Reenchantment & Rectification