Statistics – Page 293 – William M. Briggs

Mandatory National Standards For Salt Content Coming To A Government Near You

What's better: (A) voluntarily reducing your salt intake, or (B) having the government mandate that you do so? Naturally, if you don't opt for A, you get B, which we…

Culture Philosophy Statistics

Eliminating Randomness Reduces Need For God And Increases Belief In Evolution

Caution! The experiment I'm about to explain might increase your belief in God. It should only be attempted by academics who are immune to such deleterious effects. Got a pair…

Book review Fun Statistics

Free Books! Statistics, Psychics

In the same spirit of generosity that led M. Anonymous to donate a Kindle, I am offering the books I have written, if we can agree to honor those scrawlings…

Fun Statistics

Scam Targets Anti-Apartheid Environmentalists Concerned About Climate Change

The headline boomed "CLIMATE CHANGE AWARENESS FUND ($900.000.00)". Even better, it was sent from the Nelson Mandela Foundation (nmf.unfccc12@att.net). Subject: Climate Change Awareness Fund. The opening line is a teaser,…

Statistics

Certain Oral Activities Linked To Intercourse Onset, New Research Suggests

I am thinking of changing the name of this blog to "New Research Suggests", for these three words begin most press releases announcing dubious "scientific" results. Whoever first thought of…

Statistics

Alcohol More Harmful Than Heroin Or Cocaine?

Belly up to the bar, boys. Have a snort! Reach into that pile of needles and raise them high. I'd like to propose a toast to Professors David Nutt [sic],…

Culture Statistics

How Much Math Do We Really Need?

That title was lifted from a Washington Post essay by G.V. Ramanathan, a professor emeritus of mathematics, statistics and computer science at the University of Illinois at Chicago. For my…

Statistics

Being Against Climate Change Legislation Is Just Like Being For Slavery

Or so implies Andrew J. Hoffman, current sitter in the cushy Holcim chair at the University of Michigan, and writer of the peer-reviewed (I'm guessing) article "Climate change as a…

Steve on Death By Organ DonationJuly 27, 2026
"The prospect of cutting out a juicy heart has blurred their vision..." I commend you. A less restrained man might…
Brian (bulaoren) on Death By Organ DonationJuly 27, 2026
Thank you, Dr. Kevorkian PS. Soylent green is people!
hudbwu on Believing In God Makes You Crave Potato Chips, Say AcademicsJuly 26, 2026
And to think that 20 years ago, when I was much younger, I would have fallen for these things.
Eric Kay Sci Fi on $7.11 at 7:11 PM on 7/11 at 7/11: What Are The Chances?July 24, 2026
Thanks for the write-up. Thinking about things in the way of a probability distribution has always helped me, but also…
Philip Rogan on $7.11 at 7:11 PM on 7/11 at 7/11: What Are The Chances?July 24, 2026
Brian, good comment. A coincidence is only a coincidence to the person to which the coincidence occurred.