William M. Briggs

Be sure to first read Statistical Significance Does Not Mean What You Think. Climate Temperature Trends, as this post is an extension of it. As yesterday: If y is some…

There are a subset of professional statisticians---defined as folks who have had formal training in the field given to them by other professionals---who feel that the field of statistics is…

First, and most strongly, probability need not have anything to do with data. For example, we can compute a value for the probability that "Matt wears a hat" given the…

I often use this example, last night given as homework: if you have a bottle of bourbon, one of scotch, and another of beer, how many ways can you pour…

One thing can be proven with near certainty: do not stay up late the night before you must write an article on a subtle philosophical topic. I cannot prove that…

Last night was spent at the storied Chapter House, for our annual first-night ceremony of Deliberate Numbness Induction, much needed after eight straight hours of unmitigated statistical theory. The only…

Ithaca was once voted the "Most Enlightened City." I can't say whether this is true, but I can tell you that the Cornell's Statler hotel's refrigerator contain a placard, which…