2024 – Page 26 – William M. Briggs

The True Story of Juan Diego & the Conversion of Mexico — Guest Post by Ianto Watt

I have a problem. Two, actually. The first is numeric. The second, chronologic. Both relate to an epochal series of historic events occurring nearly 500 years ago, in Mesoamerica. My…

Culture

Google Knew Exactly What They Were Doing: Models Only Do What They Are Told

So Google tried to get away with its "AI" named Gemini, which is to say its hard-coded dumb (in the medical sense) model named Gemini, substituting blacks and the occasional…

Statistics

Stats Challenge Answered: Study Of PFAS & Vaccine Antibodies

I trust you have read the original post (Blog, Substack). If not, do so, because I won't repeat any of it here. However, even if you haven't, you might still…

Culture Philosophy

What The Psychic Theory Of Sheep & Goats Tells Us About Our Most Cherished Belief

Here is a true story. See if it rings any bells. Not in the story itself, which you likely won't know. I mean see if it sounds like anything you…

Culture

France’s Confusing New Law Criminalizing Criticizing The Science

My knowledge of French law rivals that of Fifteenth Century Congolese poetry. So I know I am on risky ground commenting on a newly passed law that many are saying,…

Statistics

New Zealand Forced To Release New Vax Data: Here’s The Analysis

There's been an update on the New Zealand vax data. The government ponied up some official numbers. Some are excited about this. Alas, like the previous leaked data, I don't…

Statistics

Statistical Challenge: Can You Rate How Good This Study Was?

I will lose many of you today. But for those up for an intellectual challenge, this post is for you. This will not be easy. Let's play a game. I'm…

Culture

Academics Blame Lower Trust In Scientists On Everything But Bad Scientists

The second sentence of the abstract of a new paper about trust in scientists, which is generally high but in some places low, provides the very reason for distrust: "Public…

Hun on Let’s Play A Game Of Let’s Suppose!July 2, 2025
The only way to do this reliably is around a religion or occult faith. No religion in its current form…
Hagfish Bagpipe on Let’s Play A Game Of Let’s Suppose!July 2, 2025
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Mark Rhodes on Let’s Play A Game Of Let’s Suppose!July 2, 2025
Leon Podkes wrote a book called “The Church Impotent: The Feminazation of the Church” in the late ‘90s that talks…
Phil R on Test Your IQ With These Puzzles! (Not So Easy!)July 1, 2025
...and I saw 5 or 25 in the figure. The division answer never occurred to me. Got all the rest…
Phil R on Test Your IQ With These Puzzles! (Not So Easy!)July 1, 2025
If someone asks a question that is conditional on some evidence or rule that they conveniently (or purposely) leave out,…