Philosophy – Page 15 – William M. Briggs

Why (Scott Alexander’s) Bayesian Rationality Fails

Scott Alexander, late of Slate Star Codex, and New York Times doxee, is the subject of Curtis Yarvin nee Moldbug's latest. Rather, Alexander's (and Moldbug's? see postscript) Bayesian rationality is.…

Philosophy Statistics

Classical Statistics Has Outlived Its Usefulness: Here’s The Fix

A PDF of this article may be downloaded here. This article is a precis of Uncertainty. Opening Act Patient walks into the doctor and says, "Doc, I saw that new…

Philosophy

Brian Cox Proves Why Scientists Should Never Be Asked Questions About The Soul

Celebrity physicist Brian Cox said he thinks science has shown men do not have souls. According to the Express, he said on the Joe Rogan show that there is "no…

Philosophy

Insights on Philosophy of Beauty — Guest Post by The Cranky Professor

On the eve of the greatest beauty, an essay on what beauty means. What is beauty? It may be a little complicated to define how an object, thing or person…

Philosophy

Science Is Now Politics, Says Nature: Here’s Why They’re Right

Nature magazine definitely announced, daring to be doubted, "Science and politics are inseparable". They followed this up with, "We cannot stand by and let science be undermined", and so endorsed…

Philosophy Statistics

A Twist In A Solution To Newcomb’s Paradox

Let's take a break from the insanity and wade into cool waters to start the weekend. I'll take it that you've watched this video, which purports to give a solution…

Philosophy

Academics Throw Fit After Being Told They Don’t Throw Fits Over IQ & Race

There are many positions on IQ, the so-called intelligence quotient, but most fall into two camps. Those who reject IQ measures outright, because racism, and those who claim people have…

Philosophy

Love Is Hate: Pro-Transgender Speech Is Hate Speech

There are only two possibilities: either God exists, or we each are gods. In either case, pro-transgender, pro-sodomy, pro-perversion speech of any kind is hate speech and must be condemned,…

Neil Jordan on Class 94: Quantifying The UnquantifiableSeptember 17, 2026
At last, an opportunity to join you in the "Quagmire of Marginal Statistics." This and later quote are from memory…
McChuck on The MRS Degree — Guest Post by Johnathan EdwardsSeptember 17, 2026
"South Korea and Japan will no longer exist, perhaps in our lifetime, if they don’t start reproducing or bringing more…
McChuck on PFAS and Preservatives: Entrenching Chemophobia through Everyday Stuff — Guest Post by Jaap HanekampSeptember 17, 2026
How many of the breast milk lab techs (doesn't that sound filthy out of context?) were wearing latex gloves, known…
JH on PFAS and Preservatives: Entrenching Chemophobia through Everyday Stuff — Guest Post by Jaap HanekampSeptember 16, 2026
The alternative to preserved clay is, sooner rather than later, mouldy clay… Does this mean to create fear? There are…
Cary Cotterman on PFAS and Preservatives: Entrenching Chemophobia through Everyday Stuff — Guest Post by Jaap HanekampSeptember 16, 2026
Growing up in the late 1950s, I played with modeling clay almost every day. Who knows, back then it was…