Statistics – Page 141 – William M. Briggs

Some Curious Results In World Poverty Rates — With Update People Say They Want (But Don’t)

The tweet above is from Human Progress. Thanks to @WrathofGnon for the tip. It shows the number of people by region who live "in poverty". It is a stacked line…

Philosophy Statistics

Next Time Somebody Asks You “What’s the Probability of X” Say This — Crucial Update!

Next time somebody asks you "What's the Probability of X", where X is any proposition, say this: there is no such probability. It doesn't exist. "Briggs, what's the probability of…

Statistics

Making P-values Weer To Achieve Significance Won’t Help

Mini-paper out in JAMA by Matt Vassar and pals: "Evaluation of Lowering the P Value Threshold for Statistical Significance From .05 to .005 in Previously Published Randomized Clinical Trials in…

Class Statistics

The Controversy Over Randomization And Balance In Clinical Trials

There was a paper a short while back, "Why all randomised controlled trials produce biased results", by Alexander Krauss, in the Annals of Medicine. Raised some academic eyebrows. Krauss says,…

Culture Statistics

An Illustration Of Type I Scientism

Regular readers will recall there are two Types of Scientism. Type I is belief that Science is needed to verify commonplace truths. Type II is the belief that only Science…

Statistics

Black Coffee Drinkers Are Sadistic Psychos: It’s Science!

Headline New study says you might be a psychopath if you like black coffee A new study from the University of Innsbruck in Austria says that people who drink their…

Statistics

Quack Quack: 25% of Students “Traumatized” By 2016 Election

Headline 25% of students say they were traumatized by the 2016 election, study says A quarter of students found the 2016 so traumatic they now report symptoms of PTSD, according…

Statistics

You Can’t Quantify The Unquantifiable

I stole the picture below from YouGov. A new YouGov study reveals exactly how positively and negatively the population perceives various descriptions to be. YouGov showed respondents a selection of…

sandy on Academics Call For The Killing Of Babies In “After-Birth” AbortionsOctober 1, 2026
What you are witnessing is not lunacy or saying silly things for effect. This is an example of normalization --…
Briggs on Viewer Asks: Why Do I Bother?October 1, 2026
All, Thanks for the kind words and inspiration, everybody. It means a lot to me.
Uncle Mike on Viewer Asks: Why Do I Bother?October 1, 2026
Megafires can, and sometimes do, start with a single spark. Don't underestimate the power of Truth. Therefore, (continue to) wield…
Tars Tarkas on Viewer Asks: Why Do I Bother?October 1, 2026
Well I for one appreciate your work. Thank you for all the time you put into this.
Brian (bulaoren) on Viewer Asks: Why Do I Bother?October 1, 2026
Why does anyone put a message in a bottle, and toss it into the sea?