February 2013 – William M. Briggs

Science Can Tell If You’re A Racist Just By Looking At You

George Carlin used to advise those who wanted to avoid jury duty to tell the judge, "Don't worry about me, your honor. I can tell guilty people---<snap!>---just like that!" We…

Statistics

The Second & Third Most Depressing Graphs: The Encroachment Of Government

Update This stays top for today because we're still waiting for some regulars to chime in and because I'm busy. Here is federal government spending as a fraction of the…

Culture Statistics

The Most Depressing Graph: Per Capita Federal Spending Rises Alarmingly: Update

There is no more saddening picture of the progress of government than this one (the second & third most depressing graphs are here): This is the amount of money the…

Fun Statistics

Best Movie Oscar Prediction Via Statistical Modeling: Update, The Model Wins

Update I humbly accept your congratulations. Argo will win Oscar for Best Picture, according to our non-patented, statistically significant almost-mathematical computer model. The key reasons for its victory will be:…

Fun Statistics

Science Proves Farting On Airplanes, Exposing Buttocks To Sun Healthy

According to the latest in medical science, I sat next or near to an exceptionally healthy individual on my last flight. My keen olfactory senses alerted me that a fellow…

Fun

Global warming causes prostitution!

Update Moved up to allow comments. Originally posted November 2009. The Beaujolais nouveau (just got in my case for this year) shot out my nose when I saw this, the…

Book review Philosophy

Against Autonomy: Justifying Coercive Paternalism

Note: I do not own the book discussed below. I refuse to pay for it (it's $95!). If any well-off reader has a copy he would like to donate, then…

Culture

David Daley, Salon Executive Editor, Is A Racist

David Daley is a racist. A racist judges people based on their race. Racism is loathsome. It is vile. Daley, the exceedingly white executive editor of Salon magazine, judges people…

John Pate on Putin, Xi Who Must Obeyed, Occult Rituals & Living ForeverOctober 16, 2025
Now do Adrenochrome.
Hun on Putin, Xi Who Must Obeyed, Occult Rituals & Living ForeverOctober 16, 2025
Everything weird they say about China and Russia has been true about the West for decades. Most of the time,…
Eyrie on Putin, Xi Who Must Obeyed, Occult Rituals & Living ForeverOctober 15, 2025
Old SF novel by Norman Spinrad "Bug Jack Barron". Once castigated in the Brit House of Lords, so worth reading.
KGB on Putin, Xi Who Must Obeyed, Occult Rituals & Living ForeverOctober 15, 2025
My Taiwanese wife has been obsessing over this case for the past couple weeks. Whether she was explaining it in…
Brian (bulaoren) on Putin, Xi Who Must Obeyed, Occult Rituals & Living ForeverOctober 15, 2025
My sincerest apologies for misspelling a name in my previous post. I was, of course, referring to "Ayesha" from the…