William M. Briggs

Belloc On The Limited Intelligence Of Scientists

From Hilaire Belloc's Richelieu, J.B. Lippincott Company, Philadelphia & Londen, 1929, p. 23, in the context of disproving the social theory of historical events, i.e. the one which claims individuals…

Book review Philosophy

Our Brains Are Not Us: Review of Brainwashed

My nomination for Worst Use of Inference in a Scientific Paper (2009) is "The neural correlates of religious and nonreligious belief" by brain scientist cum philosopher Sam Harris and colleagues.…

Statistics

The Epidemiologist Fallacy Strikes Again. EPA, CARB, And Air Pollution

Here is an email I received from Jim Enstrom of the Scientific Integrity Institute (modified to embed the links; incidentally, CARB is the California Air Resources Board, a source of…

Culture

What’s Happening Between Russia And The Church?

No, really. I'm asking. I don't know but would like to. Something's brewing, or perhaps has already brewed. Consider these points: Item Patriarch Kirill "warned Western governments on Sunday against…

Statistics

Rise In Violence Linked To Poor Statistics. Or Climate Change

Welcome Der Spiegel readers. See also this post. The computer revolution has been as bloody, wrenching, and disruptive as any other conflict. But unlike in territorial wars where there are…

Philosophy

We Can Remember It For You Wholesale, Researchers

Blockbuster science headline of last week was "Neuroscientists plant false memories in the brain." The whetted some intellects---if intellects can be whetted---and caused others to tizzy. Philip Dick turned out…

Fun

Young Writer (Not Me) Seeks Employment

Ladies and Gentlemen---and you, too, Fran---may I introduce William J. Briggs, my number one son. Note the "J": he's named after my father, not myself. I call him James, but…

Culture

XKeyscore: Too Early For I Told You So?

Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety, unless they're scared of terrorists, and then it's okay---Benjamin Franklin So the…

Tim on Class 49: Relevance & Importance Of Evidence In ModelsMay 8, 2025
What are you playing at, Briggs? Some high-falutin' model equation junk that'll get twisted by politicians in the end anyway?…
Milton Hathaway on AI Cannot Hallucinate Nor LieMay 8, 2025
I have been making heavy use of the more well-known LLMs lately. I use them almost exclusively as "regurgitation engines",…
shawn marshall on Miracle Or Coincidence? What Are The Chances?May 7, 2025
Let us not discredit the demonic.
Cary Cotterman on Miracle Or Coincidence? What Are The Chances?May 7, 2025
Blair: "...lightning came inside and chased her to a back bedroom." Anyone who can outrun lightning, even if it's only…
McChuck on Miracle Or Coincidence? What Are The Chances?May 7, 2025
I knew a fellow win the Army who had been struck by lightning three times. Whenever he heard thunder, he…

William M. Briggs

Class 49: Relevance & Importance Of Evidence In Models

Miracle Or Coincidence? What Are The Chances?

Reproducibility Crises Will Be Forever With Us Until We Abandon Classical Statistics

AI Cannot Hallucinate Nor Lie

Class 48: What Is A Model?

I’m Going To Sue Scientists Who Gave Me Apoplexy Over Claims Of Climate Liability

Researchers Tell Models To Say People Will Die Without Your Money

The Sun Made To Set On The British Empire – Via Science!

Class 47: Billions Of Models!

A New Physics Arises: Irreducible by Federico Faggin Reviewed

Let Go Your Wee P! — Reader Help Requested

Class 46: Explanation & Abductive Weakness

The Educational Empire Strikes Back

Can Jinn & The Evil Eye Cause Disease?

Science: The Bigger The Hole In The Head, The More Politically Active

Class 45: The False Hope Of Falsification

New Paper Says Flu Vax Increases Chance Of Flu: Let’s Look

A Simple Argument Proving You Must Not Trust Standard Scientific Evidence

Power Restored, Posts To Resume

No posts, class. No power, no internet

MIT Scientists Trying To Invent Zombies