Briggs

On UFOs, Salt Intake, And Heart Disease

Michael "State of Fear" Crichton once proposed that UFOs were responsible for global warming. Why not? After all, something caused that record amount of snow in Detroit yesterday. Don't get…

Culture Statistics

Government Per Capita Spending: Up, Up, And Away! Or, Happy Tax Day!

Here it is, folks. Right from WhiteHouse.gov. The amount of Federal Government spending per capita from 1901 to the present and projected out to 2019. Population projections were taken from…

Philosophy Statistics

The Hot Hand: Statistical Fluke Or Genuine Article?

I'll save you hunting through the text. It's a real thing. If you want to know why, read on. If not, you just tell 'em W.M. Briggs sez so, which…

Statistics

Truth: Logic of Probability and Statistics

Here, as promised, is rough, incomplete, outline-only, not-yet-finished, gist-only version of Chapter 1, Truth, for the book tentatively titled The Philosophy of Probability and Statistics (I'm also toying with The…

Philosophy Statistics

The Somebody-Might-Get-Hurt! Fallacy

Word is our beneficent government, which loves us and would not see us fall into harm, is working on a design for a system of chains to anchor both citizens…

Culture

How Teachers Learn To Identify Weapons From Non-Weapons

Yet another "educator" has confused the difference between a weapon and the fantasy of one. A 13-year-old boy from New Jersey was suspended from school for two days last week…

Culture

Lawyer Argues We Should Ignore Inconvenient Laws

Ilya Somin calls himself a lawyer, and he probably is one, too. Therefore what he says about the law must be right. Convinced by Somin's arguments, I will later this…

Culture Statistics

Boys’ Toys V. Girls’ Toys: Researchers Still Trying To Prove They’re The Same

Last Thursday I was at the warthog park at the butt end of 57th street on the East river, reading and enjoying the rare sunshine. Nannies and moms (mostly nannies)…

Tracy Platt on The Loss of Ephemera — Guest Post by The Blonde BombshellFebruary 26, 2026
What I miss even more than the ticket is a day skiing at Brighton for $1.10. Carumba! O.K, i dont…
hudbwu on The Loss of Ephemera — Guest Post by The Blonde BombshellFebruary 25, 2026
P.S. And don't for a moment think we've escaped from the crutches of oblivion that ate all those books! A…
hudbwu on The Loss of Ephemera — Guest Post by The Blonde BombshellFebruary 25, 2026
Here's a video that talks about all the books you will never, ever read. Watch and weep. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fcb2oLSb7Cs
Johnno on Scientists Seeking To Escape Criticism Run To The Warmth & Comfort Of BlueskyFebruary 24, 2026
Not only must we Follow THE SCIENCE (tm), but we must LIKE and hit the Notification Bell to be updated…
Johnno on The Loss of Ephemera — Guest Post by The Blonde BombshellFebruary 24, 2026
NLR - My favorite pet peeve are restaurants where there are no printed menus, just QR codes to the menu…