Briggs

Planet Earth Al Gore Explains ‘Snowmageddon’: Fox News Story

I was quoted by Gene Koprowski in his Fox News story "Planet Earth Al Gore Explains 'Snowmageddon'". (This accounted for the several hundred Google and other search engine redirects to…

Culture

New York City Democrats Remove Yet Another Right: No Smoking In Parks

The party that ever has "Rights!" on its lips, the party with the mania about diversity, the party that is most anxious that religious fundamentalists will take over and impose…

Statistics

Are Tree Rings Low Pass Temperature Filters?

I don't know the answer to this question: I am not an expert in this area, and I haven't the time or resources to track down the data to discover…

Culture Statistics

Will The Religious Out-Breed Us All?

Thanks to long-time reader and contributer Ari Schwartz for bringing this to our attention. "It is widely agreed that religion has biological foundations---that belief in the supernatural, obedience to authority…

Statistics

The Similarities Between Psychics And Global Warming Activists

The statistical evidence series will continue after the weekend. "I see the letter G." The woman closed her eyes, cocked her head, and looked inwardly. She became grave, tense. "There's...wait…

Philosophy Statistics

Model Selection and the Difficulty of Falsifying Probability Models: Part III

To clarify: to prove false means to demonstrate a valid argument with a certain conclusion. If a theory/model says an event is merely unlikely---make it as unlikely as you like,…

Philosophy Statistics

Model Selection and the Difficulty of Falsifying Probability Models: Part II

I hope all understand that we are not just discussing statistics and probability models: what is true here is true for all theories/models (mathematics, physics, chemistry, climate, etc.). Read Part…

Philosophy Statistics

Model Selection and the Difficulty of Falsifying Probability Models: Part I

These next posts are in the way of being notes to myself. Logic is the study of the relation between statements. For example, if "All green men are irascible, and…

Eric Kay Sci Fi on $7.11 at 7:11 PM on 7/11 at 7/11: What Are The Chances?July 24, 2026
Thanks for the write-up. Thinking about things in the way of a probability distribution has always helped me, but also…
Philip Rogan on $7.11 at 7:11 PM on 7/11 at 7/11: What Are The Chances?July 24, 2026
Brian, good comment. A coincidence is only a coincidence to the person to which the coincidence occurred.
John Pate on $7.11 at 7:11 PM on 7/11 at 7/11: What Are The Chances?July 23, 2026
Now do Synchronicity.
Brian (bulaoren) on $7.11 at 7:11 PM on 7/11 at 7/11: What Are The Chances?July 23, 2026
If a 7/11 sale occurrs in a forest, and nobody is around to document it, does it make a sound?…
Willis Eschenbach on Caution Against The Precautionary Principle: Interview with Jaap HanekampJuly 23, 2026
Thanks as always, Matt. I'd be interested in your (or anyone's) comments on my post below about the Precautionary Principle.…