Statistics – Page 135 – William M. Briggs

Non-Empirical Confirmation Of Theories

Difficulties "Fundamental physics today faces the problem that empirical testing of its core hypotheses is very difficult to achieve and even more difficult to be made conclusive," says Richard Dawid…

Philosophy Statistics

A Failed Argument Against Free Will: Predicting Actions

It is always hilarious when people rail against free will, who are especially flummoxed that Common Man believes in free will, and say "If only people realized their choices weren't…

Statistics

Death Blow To Statistical Significance! — Bonus: Here’s The Replacement

Don't miss the Nature article below! (I stole the graphic from it.) Am Stat Here are the opening lines from a press release (unfortunately sounding like every other press release…

Statistics

There Are No Such Thing As Gays (Or Transexuals)

Yours Truly is a statistician; indeed, the Statistician to the Stars! I call myself that because I perform probability analyses for money (and only for the best people). Yet I…

Philosophy Statistics

On True And False Theories

What makes a theory true? Bad question, that. Conflates too easily why a theory is true with our knowledge whether a theory is true. Both are subjects of great interest,…

Statistics

When We Abandon Statistical Significance, Non-Statisticians Will Resist The Strongest

Regular readers will know the arguments and evidence proving P-values should no longer be used for any reason. If you still doubt, which I doubt, read this paper. Every decision…

Statistics

Deep Dumb: A Map For Navigating Needless Panic

I found it rather comforting to learn Professor Jem Bendell, among his other achievements, has an "honors" Bachelor of Arts. He boasts of this, and therefore it must be important,…

Philosophy Statistics

Yep, Probability Is Not As Simple As You Think

Couple of folks (Mike W, Dan Hughes) asked me to comment on the article "The concept of probability is not as simple as you think" by Nevin Climenhaga. Three popular…

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…
Phil R on PFAS and Preservatives: Entrenching Chemophobia through Everyday Stuff — Guest Post by Jaap HanekampSeptember 16, 2026
I'm no expert but I think it's a little over the top comparing PFAS with Agent Orange. PFAS, for the…
Tars Tarkas on PFAS and Preservatives: Entrenching Chemophobia through Everyday Stuff — Guest Post by Jaap HanekampSeptember 16, 2026
None of this should change the fact that chemical companies like 3M actively covered up the PFAS problem in the…
Ray on Politicians Demand “Right” To Be Protected Against AISeptember 16, 2026
As far as I can tell, AI is nothing but a computer with a big data base and some fancy…
JH on The MRS Degree — Guest Post by Johnathan EdwardsSeptember 15, 2026
Follow the footsteps of South Korea, Taiwan, and Japan. They have welcomed more immigrants and expanded foreign worker programs to…