William M. Briggs

There’s An End On’t! Gazzaniga’s Who’s In Charge? Reviewed: Part I

Who's In Charge? Free Will and the Science of the Brain by Michael S. Gazzaniga On the evening of October 10th 1769, in one of his typically curt dismissals of…

Fun Statistics

Solution Given! Probability Problem: Measurement Error Of Colored Balls

From a colleague (who wishes to remain anonymous) comes this poser: Suppose that we have a box containing three objects: one red ball and two identical blue cubes. One object…

Statistics

A Pill To Eliminate Racism? What’ll Science Think Of Next!

Publishable p-values If it weren't for the miracle of statistics, specifically the p-value, a device which can be used to "prove" anything, scientists would have a lot more time on…

Fun Statistics

Enclothed Cognition—Wearing A Doctor’s Coat Makes You More Careful

I cannot do a better job than Northwestern's Hajo Adam and Adam Galinsky in describing their peer-reviewed paper "Enclothed cognition," which appeared in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology. We…

Fun Statistics

Women Spot Snakes Faster Before Their Periods

An Irish non-nun spots a snake. It is nearly St Patrick's day and so time to revisit the legend of how that holy man drove the snakes from Ireland. Little…

Statistics

Supplement For Your Tea

This is meant to clear up some confusion in the Lady Tasting Tea series, which featured a problem people hoped would be easy. Here are two possible outcomes, comparing the…

Culture Fun

Sandra Fluke Mows The Lawn: A Play In One Act

Scene A suburban Washington DC street some sunny afternoon in July. Little Sandra and her friend Mark arrive at the house of Mr George. Little Sandra pushes a manual lawn…

Philosophy Statistics

The Lady Tasting Tea: Bayes Versus Frequentism; Part IV (finally the end!)

Read Part I, Part II, Part III. This is the missing Part, which was promised a year ago. We're all tired of this subject, and there are so many other…

Briggs on Jung’s Synchronicity & CoincidenceJuly 17, 2025
Scott, One of my hobbies is mentalism, mental magic---I even performed a trick on a Vegas stage! I have lots…
James on Reader Opinion Requested: What Science Do You Find Sketchy, Exaggerated Or Wrong?July 16, 2025
The Aquatic Ape Hypothesis might be worthy of exploring for bad science: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aquatic_ape_hypothesis
Scott Locklin on Jung’s Synchronicity & CoincidenceJuly 16, 2025
There was a book on the correspondence between Jung and Wolfgang Pauli (who was a genius, but also an alcoholic…
Ralph Mertesdorf on Vegetarians Crave Power And Success More Than Meat Eaters Do, Study FindsJuly 16, 2025
I found another headline at that "Study Finds" site" "Many Texas Communities Are Dangerously Unprepared For Floods, And Lack Of…
Tars Tarkas on Vegetarians Crave Power And Success More Than Meat Eaters Do, Study FindsJuly 16, 2025
"39. She always wants to be the one who makes the decisions. She likes to be the leader." This is…

William M. Briggs

Class 58: Hypothesis Testing Is All Wrong

Vegetarians Crave Power And Success More Than Meat Eaters Do, Study Finds

Jung’s Synchronicity & Coincidence

Reader Opinion Requested: What Science Do You Find Sketchy, Exaggerated Or Wrong?

Class 57: The Second Best Model

Don’t Lose Sleep Over Research On “Climate Change” & Sleep Apnea

What’s Wrong With The Golf Course Parkinson’s Study

The Unseen Bias In All Science

The Sad End Of Radio

Let’s Play A Game Of Let’s Suppose!

Test Your IQ With These Puzzles! (Not So Easy!)

How Can You Tell If You Have ESP?

Class 56: The Best Model!

Sabine Hossenfelder’s Free Will Folly & The Deadly Sin Of Reification

England’s Mandatory Suicide & Women

On The Probability Of God

Class 55: Models Vs Reality

AI & Chess Both Produce Pre-Coded Output

The Hubris Of Experts: NIH Edition

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

Class 54: Exchangeability & Parameters

Class 58: Hypothesis Testing Is All Wrong

Vegetarians Crave Power And Success More Than Meat Eaters Do, Study Finds

There’s An End On’t! Gazzaniga’s Who’s In Charge? Reviewed: Part I

Solution Given! Probability Problem: Measurement Error Of Colored Balls

A Pill To Eliminate Racism? What’ll Science Think Of Next!

Enclothed Cognition—Wearing A Doctor’s Coat Makes You More Careful

Women Spot Snakes Faster Before Their Periods

Supplement For Your Tea

Sandra Fluke Mows The Lawn: A Play In One Act

The Lady Tasting Tea: Bayes Versus Frequentism; Part IV (finally the end!)

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