William M. Briggs

Government Per Capita Spending: Up, Up, And Away! Or, Happy Tax Day!

Here it is, folks. Right from WhiteHouse.gov. The amount of Federal Government spending per capita from 1901 to the present and projected out to 2019. Population projections were taken from…

Philosophy Statistics

The Hot Hand: Statistical Fluke Or Genuine Article?

I'll save you hunting through the text. It's a real thing. If you want to know why, read on. If not, you just tell 'em W.M. Briggs sez so, which…

Statistics

Truth: Logic of Probability and Statistics

Here, as promised, is rough, incomplete, outline-only, not-yet-finished, gist-only version of Chapter 1, Truth, for the book tentatively titled The Philosophy of Probability and Statistics (I'm also toying with The…

Philosophy Statistics

The Somebody-Might-Get-Hurt! Fallacy

Word is our beneficent government, which loves us and would not see us fall into harm, is working on a design for a system of chains to anchor both citizens…

Culture

How Teachers Learn To Identify Weapons From Non-Weapons

Yet another "educator" has confused the difference between a weapon and the fantasy of one. A 13-year-old boy from New Jersey was suspended from school for two days last week…

Culture

Lawyer Argues We Should Ignore Inconvenient Laws

Ilya Somin calls himself a lawyer, and he probably is one, too. Therefore what he says about the law must be right. Convinced by Somin's arguments, I will later this…

Culture

Science for the State; Or, Lysenko Lives

Jim Fedako (who wrote this piece; send him email) is a business analyst and homeschooling father of seven who lives in Lewis Center, OH. It sometimes seems that every regime…

Culture Statistics

Boys’ Toys V. Girls’ Toys: Researchers Still Trying To Prove They’re The Same

Last Thursday I was at the warthog park at the butt end of 57th street on the East river, reading and enjoying the rare sunshine. Nannies and moms (mostly nannies)…

Johnno on The Importance Of Not Making DecisionsFebruary 19, 2026
But Briggs... we pay people to make decisions on our behalf... Government exists, and it MUST do SOMETHING!!! What are…
Johnno on AI Is Driving Many Crazy: Our Latest PanicFebruary 19, 2026
BRIGGS YOU FOOL OF ARTIFICIALITY! Aye Eye exists for one reason and ONE REASON ONLY! To INCREASE Shareholder Value! If…
JH on The Importance Of Not Making DecisionsFebruary 19, 2026
Maybe you mean “knowledge” instead of “belief.” When my daughter was in ninth grade, I asked her about evidence for…
gareth on AI Is Driving Many Crazy: Our Latest PanicFebruary 19, 2026
Yes "AI" is just computer models. Better - in the sense of more competent in tasks than before. This does…
Rich on The Importance Of Not Making DecisionsFebruary 19, 2026
I dunno ...

William M. Briggs

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

Some Sanity: Experts Sued For Creating Gender Delusions

Why The Recent Claims Of AGI Fail: Plus, A New Test For AGI

Polar Bears Are Doing Fine: Activists, Not So Well

Impossible LSAT Statistics Question

How Women’s Equality In Democracies Changes Voting (And Everything Else)

Class 77: Trendy Trends In Time Series

Who Still Listens To AM Radio?

Scientists Invent New Name For Models: Digital Twins

What Science Says About Making Medication Mandatory

What A Winter

FDA Goes Bayes: It Should Have Gone Probability

Class 76: That’s Not Noise. That’s Signal!

AI: The Earth Is Spinning Faster & Slower (Because “Climate Change”)

Confirmation Bias In The Minneapolis Shooting

Sports Betting Is An Excellent Way To Lose Money

Class 79: Time Series Example

The Importance Of Not Making Decisions

Government Per Capita Spending: Up, Up, And Away! Or, Happy Tax Day!

The Hot Hand: Statistical Fluke Or Genuine Article?

Truth: Logic of Probability and Statistics

The Somebody-Might-Get-Hurt! Fallacy

How Teachers Learn To Identify Weapons From Non-Weapons

Lawyer Argues We Should Ignore Inconvenient Laws

Science for the State; Or, Lysenko Lives

Boys’ Toys V. Girls’ Toys: Researchers Still Trying To Prove They’re The Same

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