Briggs

How Presidential Polls Work: D+7 or R-3 And All That

Unleash the polls! No, I don't mean the men who bravely served under Grand Duke of Lithuania Władysław II Jagiełło (free bad joke of the day!), but those election omens…

Fun

Boo!

Culture Philosophy

Women Do Not Have A Right To Do Whatever They Want With Their Bodies

Over the weekend Yours Truly tweeted this: https://twitter.com/mattstat/status/262583368246497280 Within five minutes of posting, I lost seven Twitter followers, people presumably displeased with the entry. Since this is me, I first…

Statistics

Nate Silver’s Obama Prediction: What Does It Mean?

It was Sophocles who first noted the truism, "No one loves the messenger who brings bad news." But the converse is also true. As it is written (in Romans 10:15),…

Culture

The Downside Of Technology: Being On Call 24/7—Guest Post by The Blonde Bombshell (with pic!)

Let me first say that I am a modest person with a modest existence. I have a job, which is nothing special, but I do it well. I have a…

Philosophy

Academic Philosopher Finds New Way To Dehumanize People; Calls For Beetroot Liberation

Update Now with new and improved title! (Title writing is a talent which your humble author possesses not.) In the classic 1978 documentary Attack of the Killer Tomatoes! we watch…

Statistics

Intrade’s Record In Picking Presidents: Is There Market Manipulation?

An "influential forecast" is one in which knowledge of the prediction changes the uncertainty in the thing being predicted. Consider a (respected) political opinion poll which announces Candidate B has…

Culture

Italian Scientists Convicted! Shocked That Their Predictions Were Heeded

Do you feel that chill? It's from a fell wind issuing from an Italian judge's courtroom, where he has just sent a group of seismologists and one politician to the…

Hun on On Laws Banning Hacking Women’s Genitals & Imposing BeliefsJanuary 9, 2026
What about male genital mutilation? It's common practice in the US for some reason. Actually, the reason is obvious and…
Don B on Register Your Predictions For 2026!January 9, 2026
1. THIS will be the year the long-awaited, often predicted bear will hit the U.S. stock market, precipitating similar bears…
John Pate on Class 75: A Gentle Introduction To Time SeriesJanuary 8, 2026
The amusing thing is one of the facilitators of China's rise is its falling fertility, giving it the breathing space…
Neil Taylor on Register Your Predictions For 2026!January 8, 2026
1. A protester will open fire and kill multiple ICE agents. 2. Kier Starmer will loose his job as leader…
Uncle Mike on Class 75: A Gentle Introduction To Time SeriesJanuary 8, 2026
Well then Tars, if depopulating China is your goal, they should definitely end restrictions on births. Because the fewer the…