Briggs

Finitism, Physics, Cellular Automata: The Universe as Logic

In no way is this article meant to be complete. It is more in the way of musings---a crude introduction---so that we can see where to go. Is the universe…

Philosophy Statistics

Postmodernism and the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science

Since I am, by nature, a compassionate individual, I had been thinking of how we might Sokal the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science (PNAS). It is for their…

Statistics

Feigned Surprises of the Week: Journolist and Our New Tax

Said the main-stream journalist on Journolist, "If they of the right wing don't behave and treat our Golden Boy properly, we'll call them racists. It matters not whom we pick…

Fun Statistics

A Bust—I mean must—Read; Or, An Evolution in Bra Sizes

"Excuse me, miss. Would you care to participate in science?" Sometimes being a statistician is enviable. In a flash of scientific brilliance, Australian statisticians have just completed a massive study…

Fun Statistics

M. Night Shyamalan, Mel Gibson, and John Wayne

Part II of the Two-Envelope problem was not too friendly, so here's something that is. Via HotAir, I came across the site Marginal Revolution, in which was featured a graph…

Philosophy Statistics

The Two-Envelope Problem Solution: Part II

Read Part I first. We are in the peek first game here. The distribution of N When X is odd, and all X are discrete, we know we should always…

Philosophy Statistics

The Two-Envelope Problem Solution: Part I

Another probability "paradox", the two-envelope problem1, goes like this: Before you are two envelopes, A and B. One of them contains $X and the other $2X (which is equivalent to…

Culture Fun

Four Chords Is All You Need: The Limited Nature of Pop Music

Coming tomorrow: the infamous two-envelope problem, solved! More mathematical constructivism. But today, as it's Sunday, something light and airy...and non taxing. A "comedy rock" group which bills itself as the…

McChuck on The Apples In A Sack Paradox: Solve It Or You Get No Pie TomorrowNovember 26, 2025
There are apples in the sack at midnight. I offer three distinct proofs. 1) The countably infinite steps are (+10…
Heresolong on The Apples In A Sack Paradox: Solve It Or You Get No Pie TomorrowNovember 26, 2025
This is why I hate probability. But here's my take, and I'll go with P=0. Each action, addition and removal,…
Rex8or Legitimax Prime on Antichrist, by Saint Robert BellarmineNovember 26, 2025
All those religions based texts are a combination of fiction, politics, philosophy and living life advice, that sort of thing.…
hudbwu on Antichrist, by Saint Robert BellarmineNovember 26, 2025
@Uncle Mike: the thing with prophecies in the Book of Revelation (and really all Biblical prophecies) is that they come…
Uncle Mike on Antichrist, by Saint Robert BellarmineNovember 25, 2025
I'm convinced that Joe Biden is The Antichrist. It all fits: the head injury (aneurysms), rising from the dead (Auto…