William M. Briggs

Tricky Probability Problem: Chance of Two Sons, One Born on Tuesday?

Thanks to reader Matt Lewis who sent me this link. Martin Gardner, may he rest in peace, gave us a delicious probability problem: Suppose that Mrs Smith has two children,…

Culture Fun

No Replay In Soccer: Sepp Blatter, Hold Strong!

Hold the line, Sepp. Don't buckle under the pressure, which now is intense and hot, but soon will be slack and not even tepid. We do not need to let…

Philosophy Statistics

Statistics as Beauty; Global Warming Miscellany; SATs Biased?; More

Statistics is Beautiful? From reader Yeah, Yeah comes a link to a Wired article which assures us we should "Learn the Language of Data." It's not a pretty language, but…

Culture Fun

More Bad Music; Class Wrap-Up; Go USA

Way Behind Back Thanks to everybody who stuck through the lectures, such as they were, for the last two weeks. I wrote these "lessons" over about a twenty-minute period each…

Statistics

Last Class

It was the Nines last night. Pizza, beer, and wine, followed by sketchy music. A definite conceit of statistics is its habit of declaring with something-approaching-certainty that this or that…

Philosophy Statistics

What Do You Really Want: Part II

Class is, thank God, rapidly coming to an end. I am sure we are all grateful. Here's an addendum to yesterday; but only briefly explained. Because of the crush of…

Statistics

What Do You Really Want? Modern Statistics. Lesson n+2

Only a couple of days left, everybody. Then back to more interesting subjects. Incidentally: when is the best time to contact a statistician? Before you begin to collect data. You…

Philosophy Statistics

Lesson n+1: Measurement & Observables

Just a very crude sketch today: it is not complete by any stretch. Naturally, the students in the summer class don't receive this level of information. Best we can tell,…

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

Tricky Probability Problem: Chance of Two Sons, One Born on Tuesday?

No Replay In Soccer: Sepp Blatter, Hold Strong!

Statistics as Beauty; Global Warming Miscellany; SATs Biased?; More

More Bad Music; Class Wrap-Up; Go USA

Last Class

What Do You Really Want: Part II

What Do You Really Want? Modern Statistics. Lesson n+2

Lesson n+1: Measurement & Observables

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