William M. Briggs

Shocking Research: Kids Who Play Games, Watch TV, Text Don’t Read And Do Poorly At School

The New York Times has come to the conclusion that watching television and playing video games is not conducive to reading. Further, preliminary evidence suggests that chatting on cell phones,…

Philosophy Statistics

Tolkien Wants A King, Cheating With Statistics

Cheating With Statistics Reader Matt Lewis points us to Planet Moron, to an article which tears apart a statistical argument used by the Washington Post, an argument which sought to…

Culture Statistics

Peer Review Fails? Sympathetic Priest? What’s Going On Here?

Duke Scores Another Own Goal According to Science, Duke University oncologist Anil Potti quit after being caught cheating: Anil Potti had published papers in prominent journals identifying gene signatures in…

Culture Statistics

The Government Loves You And Wants You To Stop Smoking

As an example to others, and not that I care for moderation myself, it has always been my rule never to smoke when asleep, and never to refrain from smoking…

Culture

New Expert Panel To Pick Experts For Expert Panels: Lessons From The TSA

But climate change experts opposed to [Prime minister Julia Gillard's idea of creating a citizens panel to discuss climate change] were saying 'these are citizens, they are not experts on…

Culture

TSA Full-Body Scans Would Not Pass Hospital IRB Reviews

Zzzzaapp! Some angry photons have just been blasted off toward your body, scouting for "contraband." In the process of the search, these energetic massless particles will kick the crap out…

Culture Statistics

College Students More Loquacious Than Erudite: Vocabulary Test Results

The results of the Great Vocabulary Test of 2010 are in. Two weeks ago, in this thread, after announcing my surprise that no student in any of my classes knew…

Statistics

TSA Cops A Feel: More Bad Statistics

As far as I can discover, Janet "There's Nothing To See Here" Napolitano's newly created policy of feeling up and peeking under the skirts of random airline passengers has not…

Uncle Mike on Class 75: A Gentle Introduction To Time SeriesJanuary 8, 2026
Well then Tars, if depopulating China is your goal, they should definitely end restrictions on births. Because the fewer the…
Brian (bulaoren) on Class 75: A Gentle Introduction To Time SeriesJanuary 8, 2026
@Tars Tarkas While living in China, I never felt a need for more people or cars. I did, however, often…
Tars Tarkas on Class 75: A Gentle Introduction To Time SeriesJanuary 8, 2026
I don't know why they get all upset about the TF. When things change, things change. We are wrecking our…
Johnno on The Consent FallacyJanuary 7, 2026
Briggs, you FOOL! Even though I consented to reading this article by clicking on it, I have had regret and…
Johnno on Register Your Predictions For 2026!January 7, 2026
Alright, time to spread out the money... 1. EASY WEATHER PREDICTION: - A.I. and Cloud Data Centers continue to sky-rocket…

William M. Briggs

Class 75: A Gentle Introduction To Time Series

The Consent Fallacy

On Laws Banning Hacking Women’s Genitals & Imposing Beliefs

Register Your Predictions For 2026!

Happy New Year!

How Did We Do In Our 2025 Predictions?

Why The Drake Equation Fails

Canada Invents New Euphemism For Doctor Killings

Merry Christmas!

Complete List Of All Moral & Ethical Questions Answered By Science

Why British & EU Rulers Are Juicing War With Russia

Climate Models

Is Powerball A “Fair Game”?

No Class: But Here’s Some Homework

On The Form Of Species: ‘Dance To The Tune Of Life’ by Denis Noble Reviewed

How To Tell How Much Of “IQ” Is Inherited & How Much Is Environment

Class 74: Contra Effect Sizes

Academic Argues For Permissibility of Cannibalism, You Racist

I Finally Read James Lindsay’s Manifesto (Yes, He Has A Manifesto)

The Biggest Mistake In Science Applied To Universe As Simulation

Class 73: How To Tell If You Have Bad Dice

Class 75: A Gentle Introduction To Time Series

The Consent Fallacy

Shocking Research: Kids Who Play Games, Watch TV, Text Don’t Read And Do Poorly At School

Tolkien Wants A King, Cheating With Statistics

Peer Review Fails? Sympathetic Priest? What’s Going On Here?

The Government Loves You And Wants You To Stop Smoking

New Expert Panel To Pick Experts For Expert Panels: Lessons From The TSA

TSA Full-Body Scans Would Not Pass Hospital IRB Reviews

College Students More Loquacious Than Erudite: Vocabulary Test Results

TSA Cops A Feel: More Bad Statistics

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