William M. Briggs

Every Family Has Children Until They Have A Boy: Probability Stumper

Reader Bryan Davies quoted a poser from Math Overflow (have we heard of that?) which read: In a country in which people only want boys every family continues to have…

Statistics

Scientists Claim Homosexual Men Have Different Faces

In the journal that brought you "Is a Woman's Preference for Chest Hair in Men Influenced by Parasite Threat?"1, "Accurate Identification of a Preference for Insertive Versus Receptive Intercourse from…

Fun Philosophy

What Do You Call Believer in Scientism? Contest

Toby Young at the Spectator ran this tweet yesterday: https://twitter.com/toadmeister/status/402545969956261888 The text (if you can't see) reads: "Is there a name for people who think reason and research evidence alone…

Philosophy Statistics

Observational Versus Controlled Trials

Received this email from a reader: I took on board all I read on your website, and it has created confusion in my mind. I have been reading Ioannidis and…

Philosophy

Dawkins Gets It Wrong Again: Similar Is Not The Same

Richard Dawkins in an article to the New Statesman---the same issue which somebody who obviously wasn't in full possession of his faculties assigned to Dawkins as editor---the Christmas issue, mind---an…

Statistics

We’re 88% Through The International Year Of Statistics

I hadn't any idea we'd even started. But thanks to reader Dan Hughes and his link to the Wall Street Journal story Odds Lot: Statisticians Party Like It's 2.013 x…

Statistics

Nonstatisticians Often Screw Up Statistics

Title stolen from article of same name by Leland Teschler in the trade journal Machine Design. Update Statisticians often screw up statistics, too. See below. The article is the result…

Statistics

Johnson’s Revised Standards For Statistical Evidence

Thanks to the many readers who sent me Johnson's paper, which is here (pdf). Those who haven't will want to read "Everything Wrong With P-values Under One Roof", the material…

Neil Jordan on Don’t Take The ‘Long-Covid’ Alzheimer’s Study SeriouslyFebruary 17, 2026
Thank you for the vivid disembowelment of the confidence intervals, which reminds me of my linear estimation statistics class of…
Cloudbuster on AI Is Driving Many Crazy: Our Latest PanicFebruary 17, 2026
When you think of the AI revolution, should it happen, think of "Privatize the profits, socialize the costs." The profits…
John Pate on AI Is Driving Many Crazy: Our Latest PanicFebruary 17, 2026
AI is actually Indians, that is to say in a call centre somewhere someone is monitoring every "autonomous" vehicle/robot/machine except…
C-Marie on AI Is Driving Many Crazy: Our Latest PanicFebruary 17, 2026
The One World Government and the One World Religion really are on their way!, God bless, C-Marie
Rara Avis on AI Is Driving Many Crazy: Our Latest PanicFebruary 16, 2026
Bill: I've got a friend who is enthralled by all the wonderful things AI can do. He is well-connected in…

William M. Briggs

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 75: A Gentle Introduction To Time Series

The Consent Fallacy

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

AI Is Driving Many Crazy: Our Latest Panic

Every Family Has Children Until They Have A Boy: Probability Stumper

Scientists Claim Homosexual Men Have Different Faces

What Do You Call Believer in Scientism? Contest

Observational Versus Controlled Trials

Dawkins Gets It Wrong Again: Similar Is Not The Same

We’re 88% Through The International Year Of Statistics

Nonstatisticians Often Screw Up Statistics

Johnson’s Revised Standards For Statistical Evidence

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