2024 – Page 26 – William M. Briggs

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…

Philosophy

David Deutsch Rediscovers The Worst Argument In The World

You can read the whole story at Jim Franklin's place of how the late and lamented David Stove held a contest for the Worst Argument In The World. In [Stove's]…

John Pate on Class 98: Limitations of Genetic Associations With PersonalityOctober 23, 2026
The plasticity available in the brain and CNS is the confounding factor. Nature via nurture. What actually gets expressed is…
Brian (bulaoren) on Class 98: Limitations of Genetic Associations With PersonalityOctober 22, 2026
Across the world, many jurisdictions ban pet "pit bulls". Are they in error?
NLR on Against Numerology: Some Basic CalculationsOctober 19, 2026
The mathematician Richard Guy wrote a paper "The strong law of small numbers", where he said, facetiously, but also serirously:…
aGrimm on Book UpdateOctober 16, 2026
I'm looking forward to the book; warts and all the first was enlightening and fun to read.
John Pate on Book UpdateOctober 14, 2026
I'm a big fan of LaTeX. I wrote a class package that made it into one or more of the…