Briggs

Certain Oral Activities Linked To Intercourse Onset, New Research Suggests

I am thinking of changing the name of this blog to "New Research Suggests", for these three words begin most press releases announcing dubious "scientific" results. Whoever first thought of…

Culture

A Depressing Day, With Some Hope

The election is over and, in large measure, the populace once more voted to continue voting itself funds taken from "other" people. Oh, sure, in some areas like Florida, the…

Statistics

Alcohol More Harmful Than Heroin Or Cocaine?

Belly up to the bar, boys. Have a snort! Reach into that pile of needles and raise them high. I'd like to propose a toast to Professors David Nutt [sic],…

Culture Statistics

How Much Math Do We Really Need?

That title was lifted from a Washington Post essay by G.V. Ramanathan, a professor emeritus of mathematics, statistics and computer science at the University of Illinois at Chicago. For my…

Philosophy

High Priests Of (Climate) Science

"And thy response shall be: 'Nothing hear our prayer'," said the high priest of the Church of Science. "Nothing hear our prayer," intoned the congregation. "For we shall be a…

Statistics

Being Against Climate Change Legislation Is Just Like Being For Slavery

Or so implies Andrew J. Hoffman, current sitter in the cushy Holcim chair at the University of Michigan, and writer of the peer-reviewed (I'm guessing) article "Climate change as a…

Statistics

Influential Forecasts

If I tell you that the price of a stock is going to increase and you believe me enough to rush out and buy that stock, the price of that…

Philosophy Statistics

Are We In The Midst Of A Global Extinction Event?

"All Life Ends! Amphibians, Cartilaginous Fishes Hardest Hit." That was the headline yesterday in newspapers all over the country as editors reacted to a press release from Science magazine which…

Neil Jordan on Class 79: Time Series ExampleFebruary 20, 2026
Does the passage of time cause ice, or does ice cause the passage of time? Mystical statistical court of appeals…
Johnno on The Importance Of Not Making DecisionsFebruary 19, 2026
But Briggs... we pay people to make decisions on our behalf... Government exists, and it MUST do SOMETHING!!! What are…
Johnno on AI Is Driving Many Crazy: Our Latest PanicFebruary 19, 2026
BRIGGS YOU FOOL OF ARTIFICIALITY! Aye Eye exists for one reason and ONE REASON ONLY! To INCREASE Shareholder Value! If…
JH on The Importance Of Not Making DecisionsFebruary 19, 2026
Maybe you mean “knowledge” instead of “belief.” When my daughter was in ninth grade, I asked her about evidence for…
gareth on AI Is Driving Many Crazy: Our Latest PanicFebruary 19, 2026
Yes "AI" is just computer models. Better - in the sense of more competent in tasks than before. This does…