Briggs

World Cup Statistics and Predictions for the Final

A prediction (made on Monday, 28 June) verified: Although---and this has nothing to do with the issue at hand---Argentina's goaltender Sergio Romero stinks, and that's putting it nicely. Every shot…

Statistics

FBI Homicide Statistics: What Are You Most Likely To Be Killed With?

It's the start of a long weekend and the time for a diversion. It's the fourth of July weekend and our lesson is: if you older than 50, beware strangers…

Statistics

Siena Presidential Scholar President Rankings: Are They Biased?

The Siena Research Institute asked 238 presidential scholars to rank each president from 1 (best) to worst (43) in nineteen different categories, plus one overall ranking. A complete list of…

Culture

In Defense of World Cup Enjoyment: A Response to Dalrymple

The much loved, and surely respected, Theodore Dalrymple does not like soccer. He says of soccer fans, "Try as I might to expunge the thought from my mind that this…

Philosophy Statistics

In Defense of Dogmatism

In so far as I have a coherent philosophy of statistics, I hope it is "robust" enough to cope in principle with the whole of statistics, and sufficiently undogmatic not…

Philosophy Statistics

Tricky Probability Problem: Chance of Two Sons, One Born on Tuesday?

Thanks to reader Matt Lewis who sent me this link. Martin Gardner, may he rest in peace, gave us a delicious probability problem: Suppose that Mrs Smith has two children,…

Culture Fun

No Replay In Soccer: Sepp Blatter, Hold Strong!

Hold the line, Sepp. Don't buckle under the pressure, which now is intense and hot, but soon will be slack and not even tepid. We do not need to let…

Philosophy Statistics

Statistics as Beauty; Global Warming Miscellany; SATs Biased?; More

Statistics is Beautiful? From reader Yeah, Yeah comes a link to a Wired article which assures us we should "Learn the Language of Data." It's not a pretty language, but…

shawn marshall on Iran Has Caught Covid: A Reason For The WarApril 6, 2026
unfortunately I think that is the reality....
Cary D Cotterman on Iran Has Caught Covid: A Reason For The WarApril 6, 2026
There are only eight countries, apart from the U.S., that have nuclear weapons. Iran has (or had) missiles that could…
shawn marshall on Iran Has Caught Covid: A Reason For The WarApril 6, 2026
i never watch Hannity or Fox. I'm afraid you misapprehend the fatalistic Shia eschatology. Your flippancy and arrogance are indicative…
Tars Tarkas on Iran Has Caught Covid: A Reason For The WarApril 6, 2026
Hey Shawn Marshall, stop watching Hannity and grow up. WTF do "mullahs" in Iran have to do with us? How…
Uncle Mike on Iran Has Caught Covid: A Reason For The WarApril 6, 2026
Ben Shapiro is the new Hitler, a raving genocidal fascist. I'm very sorry about the Bishop's heresy, which I saw…