Posted inPhilosophy Statistics
The Philosophy of Data
Writes David Brooks (from whom I filched the title): [T]he rising philosophy of the day...is data-ism. We now have the ability to gather huge amounts of data. This ability seems…
Posted inStatistics
Yet Another Study “Proves” Liberal, Conservative Brain Differences
Labour believes the government should tax and spend. Tories believe the government should spend and tax. Labour works with businesses to create new regulations to keep unwanted businesses in their…
Posted inStatistics
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…
Posted inStatistics
Drug Companies Tweaking Results To Produce Publishable P-values?
A person who Nature is calling a "whistle blower" has written a brief confessional in the British Medical Journal admitting to what might be termed statistical fiddling at a "major"…
Posted inPhilosophy Statistics
There Is No Such Thing As Unconditional Probability: Update
I am awarding a Briggs Internet Prize---the coveted BIP---for anybody who can demonstrate even one instance of a probability which is unconditional on any evidence whatsoever. The prize will not…
Posted inPhilosophy Statistics
Statistics Is Not Math: Update To Allow New Comments
Update Hello newcomers. Posts usually close for comments after two weeks. But since this one is getting so many views, I moved it up to re-open comments. "Here is a…
Posted inStatistics
Eating Chocolate Increases Chance Of Nobel Prize, P< 0.05
Yesterday, those noble Nobel fellows, the same committee that honored President Obama---what was it? six, seven days after he assumed office?---, gave this year's Peace Prize to the European Union.…
Posted inStatistics
Risk Analysis And Over Certainty: Classical vs. Bayesian vs. Predictive Statistics
There are two main uses of statistics by civilians, defined as folks who use statistics, who may have even had a class or two in the subject, but who are…
