William M. Briggs

Heartland Institute Accomplishes Act To Self Once Thought Physically Impossible

At the risk of losing the argument before it begins, let me ask you two questions. Number One: What do Adolph Hitler, Mao Tse-tung, serial killer and eater Jeffrey Dahmer,…

Statistics

Study Finds 9-Month-Old Babies Are Racist

MSNBC reports this: University of Massachusetts Amherst researchers placed sensors on the heads of 9-month-old babies...and measured brain activity when infants were shown pictures of white and black faces expressing…

Culture Philosophy Statistics

The Dire And Depressing Implications Of Science As Scientism: Two Introductions

A long introduction... Scientism is the fallacy that all that is known and all that can be known, can only be known through scientific methods: that which is testable is…

Culture Statistics

Why Republicans Deny Science—And Reality: Request For Help

Update The link to Sam Harris's abysmal study are now provided. That is the (modified) subtitle of the sanctimoniously self-satisfied Chris Mooney's new book, "The Republican Brain: The Science of…

Fun

Leon Panetta Unleashes U.S. Army To Battle Carbon Dioxide

"Sir!" The lieutenant, clearly agitated, rushed into the staff room and snapped to attention. "What is it, Mann? What's the word from the field?" asked the general. "We're surrounded, sir!"…

Statistics

Statistics Proves Same Drug Both Causes And Does Not Cause Same Cancer

No, the title of today's post is not a joke, even though it has often been used that way in the past. The title was inspired by yesterday's Wall Street…

Statistics

Atheists More Motivated By Compassion Than The Faithful?

Why? (Source) Today's title was swiped, word-for-word, from a Live Science press release. This is important because the point I wish to make has to do with how the press…

Statistics

Academic Pscyhologists Over-Rely On WEIRD People: Overconfidence Results

It was just over a month ago that tears of joy came to my eyes while reading an academic paper. This was Simmons et alia's "False-Positive Psychology : Undisclosed Flexibility…

John W. Garrett on The Hubris Of Experts: NIH EditionJune 17, 2025
Yikes. Maybe the Rockefellers, the Hewletts, the Packards, Jeremy Grantham, Eric & Wendy Schmidt, the Waltons, Leo DiCaprio, Mike Bloomberg…
cdquarles on The Hubris Of Experts: NIH EditionJune 17, 2025
There was a wise politician who warned us about the government-media-academia complex over 60 years ago. That's right, the other…
McChuck on The Hubris Of Experts: NIH EditionJune 17, 2025
Remember, kids, a scientist is nothing more than an academic with a lab coat. Academics are people who have been…
NLR on The Hubris Of Experts: NIH EditionJune 17, 2025
Certainly, the science-industrial-government-university complex is corrupt. The criticism of it is all warranted. But even worse than expensive and frivolous…
Briggs on The Mathematics Of Conspiracy Theories. Part 1: Black Eye Club ExampleJune 16, 2025
Paul, You're right. It sucked. I'm redoing. JH, Very well. Construct for us a model that does not do what…

William M. Briggs

The Hubris Of Experts: NIH Edition

The Mathematics Of Conspiracy Theories. Part 1: Black Eye Club Example

Class 54: Exchangeability & Parameters

Over-Certainty Of Polygenic Scores

AI & The Dilemma Of Technology

What Are The Chances Thomas Jefferson & John Adams Died On The Fourth of July, 1826?

Class 53: Laplace Was Right!

Even The Woke Say Science Is Petering Out

Expert Nathan Confas: Experts Know Best

Science Claims 7% Of Adults Saw A Mass Shooting

Class 52: The Origin Of Parameters

IQ Is Not Intelligence

What Are The Chances…George Wendt Dies On Same Day Cheers Ended 32 Years Before?

Class 51: Bayes Is Only A Formula

Blacks Have Black Fatigue: Who Is At Fault?

A Reason The Birthrate Is So Low: Food

What Are The Chances…A Women Survives Cancer 4 Times To Be Killed By “Random” Bullet?

Class 50: Independence Versus Irrelevance

The Nuances and Challenges of Federal Funding for Research — Guest Post by An Academic

Eggs and ‘PFAS-Easter’ or Selling Fear on the Day of Resurrection — Guest Post by Jaap Hanekamp

Academics Call Pregnancy A Disease

The Hubris Of Experts: NIH Edition

The Mathematics Of Conspiracy Theories. Part 1: Black Eye Club Example

Heartland Institute Accomplishes Act To Self Once Thought Physically Impossible

Study Finds 9-Month-Old Babies Are Racist

The Dire And Depressing Implications Of Science As Scientism: Two Introductions

Why Republicans Deny Science—And Reality: Request For Help

Leon Panetta Unleashes U.S. Army To Battle Carbon Dioxide

Statistics Proves Same Drug Both Causes And Does Not Cause Same Cancer

Atheists More Motivated By Compassion Than The Faithful?

Academic Pscyhologists Over-Rely On WEIRD People: Overconfidence Results

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