William M. Briggs

Physical Probability Doesn’t Exist

There have been many attempts to tie probability to physical chance. Here, briefly and for discussion, is why I think all of them fail. Ontology does not recapitulate epistemology Let…

Book review Philosophy

True Reason: Confronting the Irrationality of the New Atheism Reviewed

Answer me honestly. How rational is it to believe any of the following: Science can explain everything, even itself; The reason anything exists is because of the laws of gravity,…

Culture

Trigger Warnings And The Feminismization Of America

Update New & Improved title! I think it was Clint Eastwood who, as Dirty Harry, gave the world's most famous trigger warning: I know what you're thinking: "Did he fire…

Culture

Global Warming Update: Titanic Sunk! Contest Update: Other Historical Events. Update: Not Me!

Been a while since I looked out the climate window, because why? Because I figured there'd be nothing to see. After two decades of failed forecasts I assumed most modelers…

Culture Philosophy

Animals Suing People, People Suing Animals: Lawyers Rejoice

An increasing crime rate Regular readers will know both of my deep interest in animal rights and in the law. This is why, as a side business, but always pro…

Culture

Punishment Of Pre-Thoughtcrime On The Rise: You Could Be Next

Certain Canadians have been tried, convicted, and sentenced for pre-thoughtcrime. Bound to have happened, you will say, especially given events such as the howling drooling hate-filled mob that terrorized Brandon…

Culture Statistics

A New Possible Solution Of Fermi’s Paradox

What is the probability the following proposition is true? ``There are rational beings other than humans in the universe." Well, given the evidence of angels, who are rational non-human beings,…

Philosophy Statistics

Correlation Implies Causation

A version of this post originally appeared on 20 October 2012. But after a Twitter conversation with our friend @Neuro_Skeptic, it's time for an addition. Comes a Salon article entitled…

John Pate on Marbles!June 23, 2026
Marbles was a thing in my primary school in Cambridge, England in the sixties. I don't recall girls ever playing…
Jess on Marbles!June 23, 2026
Somewhere, I have my brother's bag of marbles. I sometimes think I should go through them to see if there…
Cary D Cotterman on Marbles!June 23, 2026
In the summer of 1960, in Fresno, California, I lost my promotional "KYNO Top-Dog Radio" boulder in a game of…
Brian (bulaoren) on Marbles!June 23, 2026
Briggs! Have you lost your marbles? (somebody had to say it) When I was a little kid, I was nuts…
NLR on Marbles!June 23, 2026
Interesting

William M. Briggs

Marbles!

Class 92: Simple Optimal Decisions: PSA & Cancer Example

Math Is Epistemic Violence, Says Lady Academic

Truly Random Numbers Found?

Class 91: Try Not To Use the ROC Curve & AUC

Climate Change Increases Risk of Even Slower World Cup Games!

The Ultimate IQ Test: Guessing the Author’s Mind and Escaping the Infinity of Answers

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

Marbles!

Class 92: Simple Optimal Decisions: PSA & Cancer Example

Physical Probability Doesn’t Exist

True Reason: Confronting the Irrationality of the New Atheism Reviewed

Trigger Warnings And The Feminismization Of America

Global Warming Update: Titanic Sunk! Contest Update: Other Historical Events. Update: Not Me!

Animals Suing People, People Suing Animals: Lawyers Rejoice

Punishment Of Pre-Thoughtcrime On The Rise: You Could Be Next

A New Possible Solution Of Fermi’s Paradox

Correlation Implies Causation

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