Statistics – Page 223 – William M. Briggs

Statistics Is Not Math: Update To Allow New Comments

Update Hello newcomers. Posts usually close for comments after two weeks. But since this one is getting so many views, I moved it up to re-open comments. "Here is a…

Statistics

Does Barack Obama Have A Mandate? A Look At The Numbers

How important was Barack Obama's victory? By what measure can he be said to have secured a "mandate"? How does his election compares to others? And how do voters in…

Statistics

Use And Abuses Of Decision Analysis: Global Warming Example

Suppose we have a simple decision to make1: implement a government-takeover of all energy companies, so as to regulate with thoroughness their carbon budgets, or leave these entities as they…

Statistics

A Citizen’s Guide to Global Warming Evidence

Was it only me? I thought Chicken Little dead. After all, when was the last time we heard competent authority shouting "Only the government can stop the sky from falling!"?…

Culture Philosophy Statistics

Genetic Engineering To Create New Super Moral Race: Savulescu Strikes Again

On the road, so here is a classic post from not too long ago. The appalling Julian Savulescu1 is back, this time staining the pages of the British edition of…

Philosophy Statistics

A Statistician’s Lament

Regular readers (those wanting to catch up, click here) will know that the world is far too sure of itself, especially in areas which touch on human behavior, and most…

Culture Statistics

Changing Attitudes On Suicide And Euthanasia

We had such fun with abortion attitudes, today this: From the General Social Survey, a picture of the support for suicide and euthanasia by reason from 1977 until 20061. GSS…

Statistics

Paul “Population Bomb” Ehrlich Asks, “Can a collapse of global civilization be avoided?” Yes, Paul. Yes It Can

Paul Ehrlich in 1968 predicted that a devastating human Population Bomb would immanently wreak untold havoc upon the world. He was later derided, ridiculed, blasted, razzed, heckled, savaged, tweaked, tormented,…

Glenn Ammons on Class 65: A Last Plea Never To Use Or Trust Statistical Evidence Like ThisSeptember 19, 2025
Thanks, this is a very understandable summary of your arguments against p-values and frequentism. There is a mistake in the…
J. Johnson on Class 65: A Last Plea Never To Use Or Trust Statistical Evidence Like ThisSeptember 18, 2025
Well you convinced me to never use p-values, and how to articulate to others why they shouldn’t either. I’d say…
Ed on Class 65: A Last Plea Never To Use Or Trust Statistical Evidence Like ThisSeptember 18, 2025
As a teacher who's seen, in the eyes of many a student (pun intended), the inglorious mist of complete misunderstanding,…
Uncle Mike on Class 65: A Last Plea Never To Use Or Trust Statistical Evidence Like ThisSeptember 18, 2025
I disagree with your hypothesis that "my career has largely been a failure". You shouldn't expect the world to immediately…
McChuck on Class 65: A Last Plea Never To Use Or Trust Statistical Evidence Like ThisSeptember 18, 2025
Modern scientific statistics is nothing more than a roleplaying game based on a 20 sided die. The game master (study…