William M. Briggs

The Predictive Skills of Octopii: Paul’s World Cup Prognostications

In Detroit, for that glorious game of soccer-on-ice-with-sticks, we---I still say "we"; you can never separate yourself from your birthplace---know what to do with octopuses, octopii as were: We toss…

Culture

Students Studying Less: Shocking Report

A new campus joke: "Dude, she was all like, 'What's that building? It's, like, so big.' And I go, 'That's the library. There's like so many books." Ha ha ha…

Philosophy Statistics

Symmetry, Priors, Logical Probability, Infinities, and Needless Paradoxes

One reason why some reject the notions of logical probability and Bayesian statistics is because it is said that assignments of probability under symmetry generate paradoxes. However, as I will…

Statistics

Lady Wins Fourth Lottery: What Are the Odds?

I'm in the wild blue yonder today; so here is a distraction. Thanks to reader Jade for suggesting the topic. Nobody can scratch better than Las Vegas resident Joan Ginther,…

Statistics

Consensus Members Agree To Agree: Breaking Story

The agreement amongst climatologists who agree that mankind will cause devastating climate change is popularly known as "The Consensus." Those who agree with the consensus are part of the consensus;…

Fun Statistics

Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest: Kobayahsi Arrested! Records and Statistics

Sonna no uso da! Fuzakeruna yo! Were those the words of ex-champ Takeru Kobayahsi as he brazenly stormed the stage at the ninety-fifth annual Nathan's Hot Dog eating contest yesterday?…

Fun Statistics

World Cup Statistics and Predictions for the Final

A prediction (made on Monday, 28 June) verified: Although---and this has nothing to do with the issue at hand---Argentina's goaltender Sergio Romero stinks, and that's putting it nicely. Every shot…

Statistics

FBI Homicide Statistics: What Are You Most Likely To Be Killed With?

It's the start of a long weekend and the time for a diversion. It's the fourth of July weekend and our lesson is: if you older than 50, beware strangers…

C-Marie on You Can’t Con An Honest Man & The Case of Jason ArdayAugust 10, 2026
The need for Jesus Christ, Who is the Way, Who is the Truth, Who is the Life, and Who is…
N.S. Palmer on You Can’t Con An Honest Man & The Case of Jason ArdayAugust 10, 2026
The Academic Fallacy is what I called "the Existentialist Fallacy:" "Certain errors creep into most debates about social policy and…
Cary Cotterman on You Can’t Con An Honest Man & The Case of Jason ArdayAugust 10, 2026
I never heard of this Arday buffoon until a couple of weeks ago. As I read through the account of…
Brian (bulaoren) on You Can’t Con An Honest Man & The Case of Jason ArdayAugust 10, 2026
@ Uncle Mike Your comment reminds me that I really miss William F Buckley. He was often accused of dredging…
Uncle Mike on You Can’t Con An Honest Man & The Case of Jason ArdayAugust 10, 2026
Five stars for the use of "rhodomontade"! I suspect nobody on the faculty at Cambridge knows the word, because they…

William M. Briggs

You Can’t Con An Honest Man & The Case of Jason Arday

Academics: Achieve Sustainability by Easing Population to 4 Billion by 2200

The Impossibility of Proposition Nations

Ugly Women Rulers Condemn Lookism

The Wee P Boogie: The Song That’s Sweeping the Nation!

Wolfgang Smith For Everyone

Death By Organ Donation

$7.11 at 7:11 PM on 7/11 at 7/11: What Are The Chances?

Caution Against The Precautionary Principle: Interview with Jaap Hanekamp

Believing In God Makes You Crave Potato Chips, Say Academics

Hume’s Guillotine, Euclid’s Catapult: Induction, Axioms, and Objective Ethics

University of California Prof Tries To Save System From DIEing

The Equality Paradox

My Horrible Interaction With AI

SOON

The Court’s Slow Theft Of The Constitution — Guest Post by Ianto Watt

Happy Birthday to US

Never Use Or Trust P-values (Pagan-Values)

Musk Doges Deaths: Researchers Say USAID Absence Kills Kills Kills!

The Intellectual Capacity Of Women by David Stove

Marbles!

You Can’t Con An Honest Man & The Case of Jason Arday

Academics: Achieve Sustainability by Easing Population to 4 Billion by 2200

The Predictive Skills of Octopii: Paul’s World Cup Prognostications

Students Studying Less: Shocking Report

Symmetry, Priors, Logical Probability, Infinities, and Needless Paradoxes

Lady Wins Fourth Lottery: What Are the Odds?

Consensus Members Agree To Agree: Breaking Story

Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest: Kobayahsi Arrested! Records and Statistics

World Cup Statistics and Predictions for the Final

FBI Homicide Statistics: What Are You Most Likely To Be Killed With?

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