Statistics – Page 168 – William M. Briggs

Grandmaster: Men Better At Chess. Or, Data And The Underdetermination Of Theory

Update Note the New & Improved title! Chess Grandmaster Nigel Short caused a stink, reaching oooo-weee! but not quite burn-him! levels, when he said that men and women are different…

Statistics

The Logic Puzzle That Is “Stumping The Internet.” Update: Now With Solution

The Washington Post thinks the puzzle above is hideously difficult and says that it has become an "obsession". The writer there certainly finds it sweat-inducing: "As the problem spread far…

Philosophy Statistics

Space’s 10 Mistakes People Make When Arguing Science

Reader Ken pointed us to Space.com's click-me-click-me! article "The 10 Mistakes People Make When Arguing Science". Since everybody loves numbered lists, I'll duplicate their efforts here, using their mistakes. Isn't…

Fun Statistics

Masters Statistics & (Some) Predictions

Here's a view of the winning scores from par since the inception of the tournament. The early years saw little variability, but since the 60s there were a lot more…

Statistics

P-Value Hacking Is Finally Being Noticed

Since I'm on the road, all typos today are free of charge. Some reasonably good news to report. A peer-reviewed paper: "The fickle P value generates irreproducible results" by Lewis…

Statistics

What Evidence Would Persuade You That Man-Made Climate Change Is Real?

Somebody named Ronald Bailey (he isn't anybody I know) at the inaptly named Reason asked the good question which heads this post. Second thought: the question is awful. No scientist…

Culture Statistics

Global Warming Hypocrisy: Or, Science Is Politics

Lefties take money, too In an interview with far-left New York Times, activist and part-time scientist Michael Oppenheimer says "nothing follows" from his taking moola from the EDF (Environmental Defense…

Statistics

Bill Nye The Science Guy Confuses Scientific Uncertainty Versus Doubt

On the road, so something quick. Reader Paul Mullen writes: Briggs, A fellow at the salt mine was thoughtful enough to leave a copy in the break room of April's…

Brad Tittle on The If I Were God Fallacy & EvolutionJuly 29, 2025
My point of view is always wrong. Everyone elses point of view is always correct in their reference frame. How…
Chaeremon on The If I Were God Fallacy & EvolutionJuly 29, 2025
evolution possesses a [divine, what else] intelligence through which instinct and subsequently [evolutionary! what else] rationality ar|wer|e invented.
Briggs on The If I Were God Fallacy & EvolutionJuly 29, 2025
All, From Owen Chadwick's The Reformation (p. 62): "At the Diet of Speyer in 1529 the minority of princes favourable…
Briggs on The If I Were God Fallacy & EvolutionJuly 29, 2025
Steve, Protesting Christians is the preferred term. And nowhere do I insist "All Protesting Christian believe X".
Steve on The If I Were God Fallacy & EvolutionJuly 29, 2025
"All Protestants believe X. X is absurd. Therefore All Protestants are absurd." The problem is your major premise. All Protestants…