William M. Briggs

Utilitarianism, Halloween, and Phantasm

Jeremy Benthem The Tall Man Halloween is coming, and that means it's time to consider frightening things. And what over the past two centuries has been more horrific than the…

Culture

The Corporatization of the University: Part III — Guest Post By Agnes Larson

Agnes Larson is a long-time university insider. This article is Part III of a three-part series. Read Part I, Part II. Prevalence of Differential Wage Corporations are frequently under fire…

Culture

The Corporatization of the University: Part II — Guest Post By Agnes Larson

Agnes Larson is a long-time university insider. This article is Part II of a three-part series. Read Part I, Part III Layoffs and Workforce Planning A time-honored corporate method of…

Culture

The Corporatization of the University: Part I — Guest Post By Agnes Larson

Agnes Larson is a long-time university insider. This article is Part I of a three-part series. Read Part II, Part III Background As early as 1918 Thorstein Veblen bemoaned the…

Statistics

How To Cheat With Graphics: Paul Krugman Style

Thanks to reader Doug Magowan for bringing this to our attention. In his New York Times blog "The Conscience of a Liberal", the far-left economist Paul Krugman presented these graphs…

Philosophy Statistics

The Dismal Economics of Utopia: Lesson One

This originally appeared in Pajamas Media. I thought it was a natural follow-up to yesterday's post about the odd economic situation in France. The content below has been edited, but…

Culture Statistics

France Strikes Over Increasing Retirement Age: The Meta-Economics of Success

France is into its third or fourth day of striking over President Nicolas Sarkozy's bold plan to increase the retirement age from 60 to a whopping 62. Of course, striking…

Statistics

Why So Many (Medical) Studies Based On Statistics Are Wrong

This was inspired by the (unfortunately titled) article Lies, Damned Lies, and Medical Science, publishing in this month's Atlantic (thanks A&LD!). The article profiles the work of John Ioannidis, who…

John M on Richard Dawkins, The Big Muscles Fallacy & AI PachinkoMay 4, 2026
My old brain still wants to read the acronym as the name Al (lower case L). That's why I like…
Brian (bulaoren) on Richard Dawkins, The Big Muscles Fallacy & AI PachinkoMay 4, 2026
Can there be an "Artificial Intelligence" that does not contain "Artifacts"?
km on The Red-Blue Button Dilemma & Its Surprising AnswerMay 3, 2026
What happens if you choose not to participate?
Briggs on Class 88: The Most Neglected Concept: SkillMay 3, 2026
Gareth, And thanks for the comment.
gareth on Class 88: The Most Neglected Concept: SkillMay 3, 2026
You said "and thanks for listening". To which my reply is "and thanks for doing" (many fold) I'm only half…

William M. Briggs

Richard Dawkins, The Big Muscles Fallacy & AI Pachinko

Class 88: The Most Neglected Concept: Skill

The Red-Blue Button Dilemma & Its Surprising Answer

UFO Reports About To Blast Off!

Class 87: Calibration & Conformal Prediction: Examples

Noticing Differences Between Races Does Not Pay

What Are The Chances Of All These Scientists Dying, Killed, Or Going Missing?

Class 86: Calibration & Conformal Prediction: Theory

How A Miracle Turns Mundane

Contest Winner Announced!

Trump’s Last Stand: Mea Culpa, Redux — Guest Post by Ianto Watt

Class 85: Proper Scores of Model Goodness

Proof!

Justice Ketanji Roars

Iran Has Caught Covid: A Reason For The War

Class 84: Most Important Measure of Model Goodness

There Is No Solution To Crashing Fertility: Good Times Made Soft Men

Did The Pope Really Say Health Is A “Right”?

All Models Only Say What They Are Told To Say, And AI Is A Model

It’s The End Of The World Again

Belgian Judge Wants To Arrest Little Nate Cofnast Because Cofnast Says Smart People Are Smarter Than Dumb People

Richard Dawkins, The Big Muscles Fallacy & AI Pachinko

Class 88: The Most Neglected Concept: Skill

Utilitarianism, Halloween, and Phantasm

The Corporatization of the University: Part III — Guest Post By Agnes Larson

The Corporatization of the University: Part II — Guest Post By Agnes Larson

The Corporatization of the University: Part I — Guest Post By Agnes Larson

How To Cheat With Graphics: Paul Krugman Style

The Dismal Economics of Utopia: Lesson One

France Strikes Over Increasing Retirement Age: The Meta-Economics of Success

Why So Many (Medical) Studies Based On Statistics Are Wrong

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