William M. Briggs

Teaching Comes First. But Only If You Bring In Grants. And Publish

Since it's teaching time, via Nick B Steves via Bruce Charlton comes this reminiscence of Oxford in the 1970s. In the 70s it was still possible for a distinguished head…

Philosophy Statistics

The Deadly Sin Of Reification! Day Three

Zeno Phobia Counting day. How many ways can you skin a cat if the number of sharp versus dull knives is this and such. Simple stuff, easy to get the…

Philosophy Statistics

Tautology Tautology: Day Two Teaching

Since probability is the completion---we do not say "branch"---of logic, and logic is the science of the relations between propositions, probability is also the study of the relations between propositions.…

Philosophy Statistics

I Was Wrong About Axioms: Day One Teaching

I was wrong about how belief in axioms are held. I was not wrong about the beliefs themselves, which is to say, the axioms which we all know and love…

Philosophy SAMT

Summary Against Modern Thought: First Steps In The Scientific Proof Of God

See the first post in this series for an explanation and guide of our tour of Summa Contra Gentiles. Previous post. We have reached at long last the happiest part…

Fun

The Joy Of Unknowns In World Cup; Updates

Slaughterhouse Five Five brave individuals, strong and true, have thus far ponied up to be killed off in one of my award-eligible Mini Plays. Strike that: four deaths and one…

Culture

On What’s Behind The Notes In Music

As (then) Monsignor Fulton J. Sheen said1: [I]t is impossible to have any kind of evolution [change] without something that evolves or a change without permanence...It is no escape from…

Statistics

Democrats Received 42% More Donations Than Republicans, Even Including Koch Brothers

Open Secrets tracks donations made to political parties in the States, a difficult thing to do, particularly since Americans can give in many different ways. Press reports on money are…

Uncle Mike on Class 83: Why Were Paul Ehrlich’s Predictions So Good (and so Bad)?March 20, 2026
Hall of Fame essay. Post this again and often, whenever you have an opening.
John M on Class 83: Why Were Paul Ehrlich’s Predictions So Good (and so Bad)?March 20, 2026
Peer review: Larry and Curlie agreeing Moe has a good idea.
Rudolph Harrier on Class 83: Why Were Paul Ehrlich’s Predictions So Good (and so Bad)?March 19, 2026
It's always "I'm right, because all the experts say I'm right. You wouldn't want to disagree with the experts, would…
John M on The Great Effeminization of the AcademyMarch 18, 2026
Genesis 3:13 And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman…
Cary D Cotterman on The Great Effeminization of the AcademyMarch 18, 2026
I can't read the titles or the excerpts without laughing out loud. They are comedy gold.

William M. Briggs

Class 83: Why Were Paul Ehrlich’s Predictions So Good (and so Bad)?

The Great Effeminization of the Academy

The Only Metric That Matters: Or, Pinker’s Folly

Lancet Discovers Public Health Is Politics

Class 82: Be More Uncertain (About Models)

On Not Reading

The Great Smoothing: Another Reason Not To Fear (or trust) AI

A Synchronicity Or Coincidence? What Is Behind Curious Events?

Class 81: The Second Biggest Error In Time Series

The Paper Test Shows Why AGI Is Not Possible: And Why The Brain Is Different In Kind

Researcher Imagines Weather With No Human Influence: Concludes Climate Change Hurts Incomes

Faith Deposited: Why Godless Science Fails

Class 80: Granger Causality; Per Se & Accidental Time Series; Stationarity

Scientists Seeking To Escape Criticism Run To The Warmth & Comfort Of Bluesky

The Loss of Ephemera — Guest Post by The Blonde Bombshell

Class 79: Time Series Example

The Importance Of Not Making Decisions

Don’t Take The ‘Long-Covid’ Alzheimer’s Study Seriously

AI Is Driving Many Crazy: Our Latest Panic

Class 78: The Attempt To Turn Correlation Lead Into Causation Gold In Time Series

Desperate Need For Equality: AP Exam Performance

Class 83: Why Were Paul Ehrlich’s Predictions So Good (and so Bad)?

The Great Effeminization of the Academy

Teaching Comes First. But Only If You Bring In Grants. And Publish

The Deadly Sin Of Reification! Day Three

Tautology Tautology: Day Two Teaching

I Was Wrong About Axioms: Day One Teaching

Summary Against Modern Thought: First Steps In The Scientific Proof Of God

The Joy Of Unknowns In World Cup; Updates

On What’s Behind The Notes In Music

Democrats Received 42% More Donations Than Republicans, Even Including Koch Brothers

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