Posted inStatistics
Why Statistics Can’t Discover Cause, And Bad Priors
My mailbag is filling up. Today two questions from readers, both about statistics. Feel free to send yours in on any subject. Tomorrow is a doozy. Question 1 From reader…
Posted inStatistics
On The Supposed Newly Discovered “Gay Genes.” Or, The Importance Of Model Skill
Great news! The press and activists are touting a study which claims to have discovered the genes that "make" somebody gay. So get your enwombed baby's DNA scanned and make…
Posted inStatistics
Enjoy Coffee? You Could Be A Psychopath. Or, Time For A Two-Year Moratorium Of Questionnaire Science
The headline blared "Enjoy coffee or a gin and tonic? You could be a psychopath: People with dark personalities prefer bitter foods and drinks". And then the bullet points: *…
Posted inStatistics
How Many Deaths Does Reading @Voxdotcom Cause?
Bernd Felsche ?sends the breaking Vox news story "How many deaths did Volkswagen's pollution scandal cause? A back-of-the-envelope estimate." This article may represent the triumph of "explanatory" journalism. Volkswagen was…
Posted inStatistics
There Is No Such Thing As A 1000-Year Flood
Phrases like "100 year rainfalls" or floods or whatever for whatever period of time are awful. They convey an improper idea of uncertainty. The phrase "X year event" is based…
Posted inStatistics
Newly Discovered Ocean Cooling Process Implies Climate Stabler Than We Knew
Today's post is at The Stream: "Newly Discovered Ocean Cooling Process Implies Climate Stabler Than We Knew." A new paper about how certain chemicals produced in the ocean might cause…
Posted inStatistics
Stream: Eugenics Will Cure Global Warming
Today's---part one? see below---post is at the Stream: "Academic Calls for a Return to Eugenics (to Battle Global Warming)". The Big Push on global warming has begun. At the recent…
Posted inFun Statistics
Hear Briggs Speak Free on Why You’re Doing Statistics Wrong
Hear Briggs Speak Free! Where by "Free" I mean you pay my expenses. Here are the details. Hear the One And Only William M. Briggs The Statisticians to the Stars!…