Posted inPhilosophy
The Dangers Of Sam Harris’s Anti-Free Will View
Received this email from Justin. I've edited it only to correct the typos my enemies placed in my Inbox. Hi William, I am contacting you because you have a different…
Posted inCulture
Islam Asleep, Islam Awake — Guest Post by Ianto Watt
Editor's note: Watt's previous essay generated quite a bit of controversy. Watt answers those criticisms here. As is clear, Erdogan has at least made the best of the coup. Well,…
Posted inCulture
“I Believe In Science” — Which Is Not Believing In Much
Today's post is at The Stream: Hillary Believes in Science -- Which Isn't Saying Much. You just knew it was going to be a good night. Hillary shined on that…
Posted inCulture
Pope: If I Speak Of Islamic Violence, I Must Speak Of Catholic Violence
The holy Koran says (sura 2 at 191) "And slay them wherever ye find them, and drive them out of the places whence they drove you out, for persecution is…
Posted inStatistics
The Hierarchy Of Models: From Causal (Best) To Statistical (Worst)
There is a hierarchy of models in the sense they offer insight into the thing modeled. The order of importance is: causal, deterministic, probabilistic, statistical. Most models use mixtures of…
Posted inCulture
“All Religions Want Peace”: The Pope, Propaganda & The Expected Lie
There is a kind of propaganda that everybody knows is propaganda, but which involves statements which everybody expects a personage to make. Call it Expected Lies. So that when a…
Posted inStatistics
Computers Can Find Future Criminals? Why, Computers Can Do Anything!
There is a belief---a persistent and beguiling, yet false belief---that a formula exists that can predict anything. This formula will differ, it is thought, by the thing predicted, and it…
Posted inCulture
Jumping Jackers Organize Demonstration For Peace
On a grassy knoll inside Central Park at the People's Climate March, a group of demonstrators, keen on enlightening the world, had set up in plain view (see my original…