August 2009 – Page 2 – William M. Briggs

Fads and Fallacies in the Social Sciences by Steven Goldberg: Part II

Part I We now discuss the first two of Goldberg's main claims. Both of them are contentious, are bitterly contested, and passion inducing. Try to keep a cool head; certainly…

Book review Culture

Fads and Fallacies in the Social Sciences by Steven Goldberg: Part I

Fads and Fallacies in the Social Sciences by Steven Goldberg Recommendation: Buy one copy for yourself, another for mother. If Sally is over six feet tall and Bill is over…

Statistics

DANCES WITHOUT FEATHERS: III of III

Part I Part II PDF DANCES WITHOUT FEATHERS: I of III Part III of III The climb was steep at times, but I managed to haul my carcass to the…

Statistics

DANCES WITHOUT FEATHERS: II of III

Part I Part III PDF DANCES WITHOUT FEATHERS: Part II of III Now before you accuse me of anything, I like ballet. Not to watch it, that's as dull as…

Statistics

DANCES WITHOUT FEATHERS: I of III

In celebration of my having work, I present something that requires no thinking (on my part). Part II Part III PDF DANCES WITHOUT FEATHERS Part I of III Kick...two,…

Statistics

At ASA/ISM Joint Statistical Meetings

Link. Watch this space for stories. (Updates to comments on other posts will be slow.) Update: Tuesday night. This story, sent in by Jim D., is a must read. Statistical…

Culture

The Sad Decline in Music: Benny Goodman vs. House Music

Part I: Cole Porter vs. The Beatles Part II: Billy Strayhorn vs. Drake I apologize for the slowness in the appearance of this third battle, but I have just been…

Philosophy Statistics

Models, theories, consistency, and truth

Ready? Put on your best straight face, recall that global temperatures have not increased for a decade, and that it's actually been getting cooler, then repeat with Brenda Ekwurzel, of…

Hun on On Laws Banning Hacking Women’s Genitals & Imposing BeliefsJanuary 9, 2026
What about male genital mutilation? It's common practice in the US for some reason. Actually, the reason is obvious and…
Don B on Register Your Predictions For 2026!January 9, 2026
1. THIS will be the year the long-awaited, often predicted bear will hit the U.S. stock market, precipitating similar bears…
John Pate on Class 75: A Gentle Introduction To Time SeriesJanuary 8, 2026
The amusing thing is one of the facilitators of China's rise is its falling fertility, giving it the breathing space…
Neil Taylor on Register Your Predictions For 2026!January 8, 2026
1. A protester will open fire and kill multiple ICE agents. 2. Kier Starmer will loose his job as leader…
Uncle Mike on Class 75: A Gentle Introduction To Time SeriesJanuary 8, 2026
Well then Tars, if depopulating China is your goal, they should definitely end restrictions on births. Because the fewer the…