William M. Briggs

Scratch-off Lottery Tickets: Expected Payouts, A Hidden Benefit?

Update See the comments, but thanks to readers' arguments I believe I was wrong in an essential calculation. I've reworked the text to correct my error, which was small in…

Philosophy Statistics

What Is Cause? — Guest Post by DAV

Regular readers will recognize DAV as a regular contributer whose humorous voice of reason has kept many conversations on target. Today he presents ideas to spur a discussion of causality,…

Statistics

Last Night’s Republican Debate

Off in service today, so only a brief word. Debate results: Romney had an easy base hit to center field, Gingrich doubled but with no men on base, Santorum hit…

Philosophy

Santorum And The ‘S’ Word

President Obama has told us, and we can scarcely disbelieve him, that he is a Christian. At a recent prayer breakfast, Mr Obama said: [The prayer breakfast is] a chance…

Culture Philosophy

Why There’s No Point To Arguing About Abortion

I lifted that title, word for word, from (atheist, self-admitted man-of-the-left, City College emeritus Professor of Sociology) Steven Goldberg's article of the same name from his must-read Fads and Fallacies…

Culture Philosophy

American Atheist Association Modifies Lawsuit Against WTC 9/11 Museum

Those of you living in or around New York City might remember that the American Atheists Association was displeased that two iron girders had formed themselves serendipitously into the shape…

Statistics

Heartlandgate Versus Climategate

There are some key differences between Climategate 1.0 and 2.0, where emails from scientists and their hangers on were leaked, and Heartlandgate (am I the first to use this appallingly…

Philosophy

Morality Can’t Be Decided By Vote

These are all old arguments, but since Mr Obama has put us in the mood over the birth control controversy, it is best to revisit them. The dominant thinking is…

Uncle Mike on On The Cult Of The Victim & Why We Must Reject ItAugust 18, 2025
Victimhood is now several degrees removed from the alleged oppression. Example: the new Spotted Owl Plan Amendment mentions HISBIPOCs throughout…
Johnno on On The Cult Of The Victim & Why We Must Reject ItAugust 18, 2025
Briggs, you've neglected to mention the final solution to the victim oppressor problem... Baptism. Get baptized! And watch as all…
Tars Tarkas on On The Cult Of The Victim & Why We Must Reject ItAugust 18, 2025
It's so much worse than you say. Take the Holocaust for example. We Americans are blood libeled for it, despite…
Michael Dowd on On The Cult Of The Victim & Why We Must Reject ItAugust 18, 2025
True Christians when victimized for their beliefs accept this as a positive thing, an opportunity to imitate Christ, the ultimate…
gareth on Class 61: Does This Guy Have ESP? IIAugust 16, 2025
Errr... Calculating the probability of what we did see should be = 100% So why calculate it? (Enquiring minds, etc.)

William M. Briggs

The Key Role Of Probability & Chance In Science

On The Cult Of The Victim & Why We Must Reject It

Class 61: Does This Guy Have ESP? II

Funding Increases To Foster Even More Cheating In Science

Compulsory Moral Bioenhancement Should Be Covert Says Academic Who Says Ticks Should Be Genetically Modified To Stop You Eating Meat

Lying Increases Trust In Science, Says Academic

Class 60: Does This Guy Have ESP? 1

Lady Pilots Better Than Men, Says The Science

Academics Say It’s Morally Obligatory To Bioengineer Ticks To Stop You Eating Meat

New Definition Of Death To Increase Organ Harvest Bounty

Class 59: The Hardest Hypothesis In The World

The If I Were God Fallacy & Evolution

Universities Need To Be Made To Lose Prestige

Only Credentialed Artists Can Appreciate This

Does Watching TV Cause Autism?

Peer-Reviewed Research: Men Find Looking At Nearly Naked Women Distracting

A Week’s Vacation

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?