William M. Briggs

Data Mining, PRISM, NSA & False Positives: Update

Remember how---this is a really brief history lesson--remember how the NSA, CIA, FBI, and many other of those lettered agencies with their ever-increasing budgets, super-sophisticated computers, genius brain mathematicians, statisticians,…

Philosophy Statistics

What Should Philosophers Of Statistics Do?

A while back, far longer than it should have been, D.G. Mayo asked me to stop by her place and comment on a couple of posts. But laziness and excessive…

Philosophy Statistics

Never Say “Caused By Chance”

One of the services of this blog is grammatical guidance. In that spirit, here are phrases which should be forbidden, and will be once I am in charge (all highlights…

Book review Culture

George Weigel’s Evangelical Catholicism, A Brief Review

Evangelical Catholicism: Deep Reform in the 21st-Century Church, George Weigel. The Good Old Days may never have existed, but surely there were better days. Worse days, too. It is also…

Statistics

The Consensus On Global Cooling

It is an interesting exercise to read press reports of the Consensus. The Consensus as was, not as is. The Consensus as of 1975, when the sky was literally going…

Culture Philosophy

Relevance, Tolerance, And Vanishing Christianity

From Tim Stanley of the Telegraph: America's liberal Christians might be progressive and inclusive, but they are also dying out. The marketing mantra of liberal Christianity is "change or die."…

Fun

Taiwanese And Chinese Toilet Icons

I found these on a public toilet in Ping Shi, more famous for its lantern festival. It's only a matter of time before tourists flock to see them. I was…

Statistics

Tweet Hate Map: Awful, Really Awful Use Of Statistics

I give you "Dr" Monica Stephens from Humbolt State University and her widely dispersed Twitter "Hate Map." The thumbnail here doesn't give the picture the full injustice it deserves, so…

C-Marie on Ugly Women Rulers Condemn LookismAugust 3, 2026
What is the point of this writing????? God bless, C-Marie
Cary Cotterman on Ugly Women Rulers Condemn LookismAugust 3, 2026
Huh? Is this a joke, or what? As an ugly old dude who was only ever marginally attractive at all,…
Johnno on Ugly Women Rulers Condemn LookismAugust 3, 2026
If dating trends are anything to go by, the men are no longer looking... Imagination will suffice until the end…
Brian (bulaoren) on Ugly Women Rulers Condemn LookismAugust 3, 2026
Today is not April 1st (I checked). Physically unattractive women are not highly coveted on the mating market. Might that…
Philip Rogan on Ugly Women Rulers Condemn LookismAugust 3, 2026
Ugh, that put me off my lunch.

William M. Briggs

Ugly Women Rulers Condemn Lookism

The Wee P Boogie: The Song That’s Sweeping the Nation!

Wolfgang Smith For Everyone

Death By Organ Donation

$7.11 at 7:11 PM on 7/11 at 7/11: What Are The Chances?

Caution Against The Precautionary Principle: Interview with Jaap Hanekamp

Believing In God Makes You Crave Potato Chips, Say Academics

Hume’s Guillotine, Euclid’s Catapult: Induction, Axioms, and Objective Ethics

University of California Prof Tries To Save System From DIEing

The Equality Paradox

My Horrible Interaction With AI

SOON

The Court’s Slow Theft Of The Constitution — Guest Post by Ianto Watt

Happy Birthday to US

Never Use Or Trust P-values (Pagan-Values)

Musk Doges Deaths: Researchers Say USAID Absence Kills Kills Kills!

The Intellectual Capacity Of Women by David Stove

Marbles!

Class 92: Simple Optimal Decisions: PSA & Cancer Example

Math Is Epistemic Violence, Says Lady Academic

Truly Random Numbers Found?