Briggs

What Is A “Climate Change Skeptic”? Assist With Definition

As requested by Richard Drake and J Ferguson, who began a conversation on a similar topic last week, this new post asks what is the best "opinion poll-ready definition of…

Culture Statistics

New York’s Induced Terminations Of Pregnancy

New York City's Health Department (motto: It's for your own good!) released its annual birth and death statistics, and the internet is aflutter, particularly over the numbers on abortion. "Raw"…

Culture Statistics

Internet Porn Reduces Rape?

I want to be charitable. I really do. But as I reviewed the paper "Pornography, Rape, and the Internet" by Clemson professor Todd Kendall (author of "Celebrity Misbehavior in the…

Philosophy Statistics

Ivy League Climate Skeptics

I received this email from Rob Fishman at the Huffington Post. My answer follows. I'm the social media editor here at HuffPost (and a Cornell alum). I came across your…

Fun

Ecoheroes For the Climate Join Global Warming Superheroes!

Remember Global Warming Superheroes? A site where I---cough, cough---made villain of the day? While glancing through my logs, I was led to Timberati: Reasonably green thoughts. The folks there were…

Culture Fun Statistics

Predictions For 2011: Submit Yours Today!

Since everybody remembers what Yogi Berra said about this hoary subject, we can skip it. Still, we can't help but wonder with Calvin, where are all the rocket ships…

Fun

Nanodots, Kindles, And The Future Of E-Books

US News and World Report reprinted a press release from the National Science Foundation which announced that, "Nanodots Breakthrough May Lead to 'A Library on One Chip'." A researcher at…

Fun Statistics

Scientists Too Sure Of Themselves: Except, Of Course, Climatologists And Neuroscientists

Since most of us are ill inclined to labor until Monday next, I don't want to post anything of momentous importance until then---accepting, as we must, that all that appears…

MikeW on Climate Change Increases Risk of Even Slower World Cup Games!June 13, 2026
Due to the threat of Climate Change of Doom, the soccer industry has been forced to insert a 3-minute "hydration…
John M on Climate Change Increases Risk of Even Slower World Cup Games!June 11, 2026
The picture on the video link shows how boring the game is. There are so many people yawning and a…
_Jim on How Experts Use “Calamities” to Find Official Victims & Gain PowerJune 11, 2026
re: "How Experts Use “Calamities” to Find Official Victims & Gain Power" Having skimmed the above post, I realize my…
_Jim on How High an IQ Must A Person Have To Be Executed?June 11, 2026
re: "The only question is capacity to recognize guilt. If the perpetrator was allowed to vote in national elections, the…
_Jim on The Ultimate IQ Test: Guessing the Author’s Mind and Escaping the Infinity of AnswersJune 10, 2026
One gains a better understanding of the underpinnings of the grist (the extensions to the 'maths') behind QM (Quantum Mechanics)…