Posted inStatistics
Tyranny Of The Mean
The mean can be nasty. This should come as news to no one. But since, the good Lord knows why, this topic made it into the New York Times, it…
Posted inStatistics
Unsignificant Statistics: Or Die P-Value, Die Die Die
Must...resist...quoting... from Stephen Ziliak's gorgeous invective "Unsignificant Statistics" (where I stole today's title) in the Financial Post. Well, just a little (all emphasis mine and joyfully placed): Statistical significance is…
Posted inCulture Philosophy
The Unbelievers: The Movie. Richard Dawkins & Lawrence Krauss On Tour
A camera followed two village atheists on their wanderings, spliced together some of their less tedious talks, sprinkled in a few celebrity cameos, such as one by noted scientist Woody…
Posted inPhilosophy Statistics
Bad Ways Of Speaking About Truth
Easy It is true that all men are mortal. It is also true that 2 + 3 = 5. Yet it is not "true" that all men are mortal, nor…
Posted inPhilosophy Statistics
Life Isn’t Fair: Part III
We are at the position where somebody thinks a rule, law, or stricture, or the lack of the same, is fair or unfair. The justification for this belief must (eventually)…
Posted inCulture Philosophy
Academics Call For The Killing Of Babies In “After-Birth” Abortions
Update This is back in the news. This (lightly edited) post originally appeared 28 February 2012. Academic philosophers Alberto Giubilini and Francesca Minerva---shockingly working in Australia1, a land where commonsense…
Posted inStatistics
Same-Sex Marriage For And Against: Part II
Read Part I. Question 2 Allard In question 2, Mr. Briggs asked the question "why two?" and later says that we can't use the historical fact that marriage is traditionally…
Posted inCulture Statistics
Abortion Safety: Doctors V. Nurses & Physician Assistants & Midwives—Part II
Update 4 Too late. 10 October 2013. Update 4 Moved this to top because the bill allowing non-doctors to perform abortions is on Gov. Brown's desk. He'll likely sign, but…
