Briggs

Teaching Comes First. But Only If You Bring In Grants. And Publish

Since it's teaching time, via Nick B Steves via Bruce Charlton comes this reminiscence of Oxford in the 1970s. In the 70s it was still possible for a distinguished head…

Philosophy Statistics

The Deadly Sin Of Reification! Day Three

Zeno Phobia Counting day. How many ways can you skin a cat if the number of sharp versus dull knives is this and such. Simple stuff, easy to get the…

Philosophy Statistics

Tautology Tautology: Day Two Teaching

Since probability is the completion---we do not say "branch"---of logic, and logic is the science of the relations between propositions, probability is also the study of the relations between propositions.…

Philosophy Statistics

I Was Wrong About Axioms: Day One Teaching

I was wrong about how belief in axioms are held. I was not wrong about the beliefs themselves, which is to say, the axioms which we all know and love…

Philosophy SAMT

Summary Against Modern Thought: First Steps In The Scientific Proof Of God

See the first post in this series for an explanation and guide of our tour of Summa Contra Gentiles. Previous post. We have reached at long last the happiest part…

Fun

The Joy Of Unknowns In World Cup; Updates

Slaughterhouse Five Five brave individuals, strong and true, have thus far ponied up to be killed off in one of my award-eligible Mini Plays. Strike that: four deaths and one…

Culture

On What’s Behind The Notes In Music

As (then) Monsignor Fulton J. Sheen said1: [I]t is impossible to have any kind of evolution [change] without something that evolves or a change without permanence...It is no escape from…

Statistics

Democrats Received 42% More Donations Than Republicans, Even Including Koch Brothers

Open Secrets tracks donations made to political parties in the States, a difficult thing to do, particularly since Americans can give in many different ways. Press reports on money are…

aGrimm on Book UpdateOctober 16, 2026
I'm looking forward to the book; warts and all the first was enlightening and fun to read.
John Pate on Book UpdateOctober 14, 2026
I'm a big fan of LaTeX. I wrote a class package that made it into one or more of the…
Ursula on Book UpdateOctober 14, 2026
i have your first edition which I read, pencil in hand foor the typos. Loved it anyway! Will be buying…
Brian (buaoren) on Book UpdateOctober 14, 2026
Hello again, friend Briggs How colloquial is your French? Please allow me to be te first to wish you; Merde!
Cary Cotterman on Book UpdateOctober 14, 2026
I just might buy a copy of the new edition, even though I already have the typo-ridden first one. I'll…