Stay The Course: Have Some Class

One thing that bothers our guys is microplastics. Tiny bits of plastic, made from manufacturing everything, that make their way through the world, yes, even into our food and water, and so into us. Doesn’t sound good. Probably isn’t. But how can we know?

Not via that kinds of papers and research and methods regularly used in Science. My purpose is to teach you about those methods every week, and have for many years.

You have heard me say all scientists preach correlation doesn’t imply causation. Until it becomes their correlation, then causation becomes, to them, obvious.

So, too often, does it happen to many of our guys seeking for evidence to confirm their own beliefs.

But if the methods fail for “climate change”, the covid panic, and similar rot, then they fail for all things. Even those things of concern to us.

Which is my roundabout way of asking for support.

The Course is now 70 episodes in. This is about two-thirds of it, I think. One central lesson of this course is correlation is not causation. Which everybody both believes and denies. Depending on whether the correlation is theirs or their enemy’s.

The length is intimidating. Most see the list, maybe want to learn, but naturally figure they’d have to start at the beginning. Not so. I’ve designed most lectures to have the minimum amount of math and prerequisites and to be somewhat independent. Still, you’d never guess that by looking at the list. The fault is mine.

I don’t have the list on Substack yet (it’s here), but will do so (maybe taking the place of next week’s Class).

I will spend time to clean up the list into segments, bite-sized chunks, more or less independent from one another. I will also soon begin a series of short—very short—video summaries. Not in any order, nor numbered. I’ll announce them when they start.

I teach this online because, as is clear to regular readers, no university would have me. Not only because I was canceled. I believe even that could be overcome (say, but some sort of comedic false apology).

But because it is impossible to teach material considered heretical in any university.

Saying all any and every use of P-values is fallacious (which we together have proved) is deeply heretical. One of my many heresies. Such thinking is not allowed in The Science. If I were at a university, I would be required to teach Stats 101, in which I would be forced to lecture on material I believe is false. I would refuse. And be fired. The idea of “academic freedom” died a long time ago when The Science became a bureaucracy./

The Science is hidebound. Deviation is not tolerated. See this wonderful essay on how The Science destroys its enemies and wears its skin as trophies. See if this two-hundred-year-old story doesn’t sound like it happened yesterday (which indeed it did). Science routinely wanders into blind alleys, where it becomes The Science, and in which it battles to the death any who seek to escape. Science, as has rightly been said, advances one funeral at a time.

Please consider this post a Grant Application—for those who can afford it only. With no overhead!

This Class, and the hundreds of supporting posts (like yesterday’s) would cost a bundle were you allowed to take it at a university. You get it free. Paid for by the support of generous benefactors (you, if you can afford it). What a bargain!

My goal has always been to provide all material, posts and lectures, free to all. But supported by the few who find it important. And think it interesting enough to know others might benefit from it.

I am loath to ask, and detest pleas for money. A major character flaw, certainly.

But I am convinced that if the lessons of the Class were taken seriously, and applied everywhere in The Science, we could almost eliminate the reproduction crisis, block many blind alleys, crush over-certainty, and restore a proper vision of ourselves and our place in the world.

Yes, probability is that important. Probability is epistemology, which tells us how we know what we know, and how we know what we can’t know, and what we can know of why were are here. Best of all, a firm grasp of probability helps greatly reduce fooling the easiest people in the world to fool. Ourselves.

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The books (on scientism and the update to Everything You Believe Is Wrong) are still coming. I had a slight delay because I had to venture a bit afield to pick up some consulting. But that’s soon ending, and when it does I’ll be at this, and with work with friends, full time all the time for the rest of my time.

To my long-time supporters: The phrase is “I can’t thank you enough”, a cliche but as true as can be. I am amazed and grateful you have made these many years possible.