November 2012 – William M. Briggs

It’s Time For A New (Old) Kind Of University: Update

Consider these news items: "At Western Michigan University, it is considered harassment to hold a 'condescending sex-based attitude.'...Tufts University in Boston proscribes the holding of 'sexist attitudes,'... At Northeastern University,…

Culture

Germany To Ban Sex With Animals

I lifted today's title from an article in Sydney's The Telegraph. I don't know about you, but my jaw flung open as if on a spring after comprehending the tense…

Culture

Job Hunting Guanxi Style—Guest Post by William J. Briggs

The very employable W.J. Briggs, number one son of Yours Truly, lives and blogs in Brooklyn. Looking for work is a bit daunting these days. Job websites abound, but every…

Statistics

Legal Insurrection: Wishcasting the 2012 Presidential Election

Today's post is over at Legal Insurrection, a classy site run by Cornell Law guy Bill Jacobson. I have a preliminary analysis of wishcasting the election. Once it's finished, I'll…

Culture

Government Finds Clever New Way To Spend Your Money: NIH’s RePAIR

Heard of the Office of Research Integrity? It's one branch of the hydra-headed Department of Health and Human Services. HHS is the infamous agency that under Obamacare would mandate Muslim…

Culture Philosophy

Church Of England Rejects Female Bishops: Can Truth Be Had By Vote?

The Church of England put to a vote whether to include females as bishops last week. Females are already ordained in that organization (and by some reports will soon comprise…

Culture

What Marco Rubio Should Have Said: Advice To Conservatives

https://twitter.com/mattstat/status/270887160058626048 You've already heard the story. A GQ---GQ still exists?---reporter sandbagged Marco Rubio. Immediately the honorable gentleman from Florida thought his interview over, the journalist, Columbo-like, turned and asked, "Just…

Culture Fun

Open Forum Friday. Black Friday?

For three reasons I thought we'd try and "open forum" post: (1) One of our long-time readers and commenters suggested it; (2) today is an unofficial national "holyday" and many…

Briggs on How Can You Tell If You Have ESP?June 30, 2025
Spetzer, All good points. I go into many of them later in the chapter.
spetzer86 on How Can You Tell If You Have ESP?June 30, 2025
If the receiver and sender independently wrote down the guess / card with no verbal communication, it might be better.…
JH on Class 56: The Best Model!June 29, 2025
How can you make predictions in the big data era without using a model? Trust your gut.
Jonas P. Kay on Which God Are You Rejecting? David Bentley Hart’s The Experience of God, Part IJune 28, 2025
I answer all by saying you cannot get something from nothing. There is beauty in its simplicity and it is…
Johnno on England’s Mandatory Suicide & WomenJune 27, 2025
So what's the betting pool on the odds about when and in which country will be the first to perform…