Posted inCulture Statistics
Internet Porn Reduces Rape?
I want to be charitable. I really do. But as I reviewed the paper "Pornography, Rape, and the Internet" by Clemson professor Todd Kendall (author of "Celebrity Misbehavior in the…
Posted inPhilosophy Statistics
Ivy League Climate Skeptics
I received this email from Rob Fishman at the Huffington Post. My answer follows. I'm the social media editor here at HuffPost (and a Cornell alum). I came across your…
Posted inCulture Fun Statistics
Predictions For 2011: Submit Yours Today!
Since everybody remembers what Yogi Berra said about this hoary subject, we can skip it. Still, we can't help but wonder with Calvin, where are all the rocket ships…
Posted inFun Statistics
Scientists Too Sure Of Themselves: Except, Of Course, Climatologists And Neuroscientists
Since most of us are ill inclined to labor until Monday next, I don't want to post anything of momentous importance until then---accepting, as we must, that all that appears…
Posted inStatistics
Global Warming Superheroes
"Holy CO2, Gaia Girl! It's the evil Christopher Monckton, 3rd Viscount Monckton of Brenchley! We have to stop him before he goes all Lordly on us!" "Gosh, you're right Flash…
Posted inPhilosophy Statistics
Classical Statistics Is Like A Criminal Trial
What is A crime has been committed. Evidence---probative background information---points to a list of suspects, a list which, as always, might be incomplete. A most likely candidate is made to…
Posted inPhilosophy Statistics
What’s Wrong With Hypothesis Testing: Reader Question
I received this email from long-time reader Ivin Rhyne, which is so well put that I thought we should all see it (I'm quoting with permission): Matt, I just got…
Posted inPhilosophy Statistics
What Is A “Statistically Significant Trend”?
Longtime reader Nate Winchester found a discussion---among the many, many---of global warming data revolving around statistics, from which we take the following snippet: You just do the statistics on the…