William M. Briggs

Doctors At NEJM Release Important New Statement: Do Not Get Sick

It's not certain---where I take that word in its strict sense---that the men on our side of Reality are right about how to gain and keep health. Should you slonk…

Philosophy

How The Laws Of Physics Lie

The title is Nancy Cartwright's, from her book of the same name, and from an article which forms Chapter 3, "Do the Laws of Physics State the Facts?" No, she…

Culture

On Why That “In Defense of Merit in Science” Paper Will Fail In Its Worthy Goal

You might have heard of the peer-reviewed article "In Defense of Merit in Science" by "intellectual dark web" members like Peter Boghossian and old-school lefties like Jerry Coyne, John McWhorter…

Statistics

The Less You Know About Climate, The More You Cry About Climate

Some things, the saying goes, are too good to check. Take the peer-reviewed paper "Environmental knowledge is inversely associated with climate change anxiety" by Hannes Zacher and Cort W. Rudolph…

Culture

Why The Inexorable Increase In The Expertocracy: Examples

Our goal, no easy one, is to figure the trajectory of the Expertocracy. Their goal we know. Complete total full control of every aspect of all life under the guidance,…

Philosophy Statistics

There Is No Problem Of Old Evidence In Bayesian Probability

Rationalists, like those at Less Wrong (think Eliezer Yudkowsky and Scott Alexander), are prone to fetishsize Bayes theorem, seeing it as the key to all thought. It isn't. Bayes is…

Culture

What Are Your Best Theories For Carlson, Bongino, Lemon Firings?

My guess is that the oligarchs pushed out Don Lemon at CNN, and Tucker Carlson and Dan Bongino at Fox, in an effort to cool the flames the oligarchs lit.…

Culture

Virtue Signaling Proves Why Science Is Broken

Few years back some folks invited me to give a talk at Fermi Lab. Subject was how mistaken views of probability were holding particle physics back. (Which I still think…

Cary D Cotterman on Why There Are (Probably) No UFOs: “Climate Change”May 20, 2026
There are clear photographs of just about any phenomenon imaginable, regardless of how fast, distant, small, or ephemeral it may…
Steve on Why There Are (Probably) No UFOs: “Climate Change”May 20, 2026
Briggs, you fool! You should know by now that extraterrestrials have image blurring technology. And before you ask, yes, they…
McChuck on Why There Are (Probably) No UFOs: “Climate Change”May 20, 2026
"Tomorrow Tomorrow never comes What kind of a fool Do they take me for? Tomorrow A resting place for bums…
Philip Rogan on Why There Are (Probably) No UFOs: “Climate Change”May 20, 2026
All I can say after reading the linked article is that I'm glad I'm not a professional academic philosopher.
Brian (bulaoren) on Why There Are (Probably) No UFOs: “Climate Change”May 20, 2026
If a space-alien ever confronts me, and says "Take me to your leader", I will direct him (they?) to you.

William M. Briggs

Why There Are (Probably) No UFOs: “Climate Change”

Creating Microbial Monsters To Terrorize Ourselves

Class 89: The Measure Most Modelers Forget: Skill Examples

The Shocking Conclusion of the HR Trilemma!

The HR Trilemma: Which Door Decides Your Fate?

Capital Punishment Deters Crime More Than The Death Penalty

How Experts Use “Calamities” to Find Official Victims & Gain Power

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

Why There Are (Probably) No UFOs: “Climate Change”

Creating Microbial Monsters To Terrorize Ourselves

Doctors At NEJM Release Important New Statement: Do Not Get Sick

How The Laws Of Physics Lie

On Why That “In Defense of Merit in Science” Paper Will Fail In Its Worthy Goal

The Less You Know About Climate, The More You Cry About Climate

Why The Inexorable Increase In The Expertocracy: Examples

There Is No Problem Of Old Evidence In Bayesian Probability

What Are Your Best Theories For Carlson, Bongino, Lemon Firings?

Virtue Signaling Proves Why Science Is Broken

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