Posted inCulture Statistics
Statistics Exam #2
Here as promised, word for word1, is the second exam I gave my introductory statistics students. A prerequisite for the class was at least "Pre calculus". I emphasize---in italics!---that I…
Posted inPhilosophy Statistics
What’s Wrong With Hypothesis Testing: Reader Question
I received this email from long-time reader Ivin Rhyne, which is so well put that I thought we should all see it (I'm quoting with permission): Matt, I just got…
Posted inPhilosophy
The Pope And The Big Bang
It seemed to some that Pope Benedict claimed in this year's Epiphany sermon that modern science helps explain God's existence. "Contemplating [the universe] we are invited to read something profound…
Posted inPhilosophy Statistics
Model Selection and the Difficulty of Falsifying Probability Models: Part I
These next posts are in the way of being notes to myself. Logic is the study of the relation between statements. For example, if "All green men are irascible, and…
Posted inPhilosophy Statistics
Model Selection and the Difficulty of Falsifying Probability Models: Part II
I hope all understand that we are not just discussing statistics and probability models: what is true here is true for all theories/models (mathematics, physics, chemistry, climate, etc.). Read Part…
Posted inStatistics
Are Tree Rings Low Pass Temperature Filters?
I don't know the answer to this question: I am not an expert in this area, and I haven't the time or resources to track down the data to discover…
Posted inCulture Statistics
Japanese Meltdown
No, not the reactors, the press. Ghouls, most of them. They always wish for the worst. The only class of people (besides Communists and morticians) for whom death not only…
Posted inStatistics
Wall Street Journal: Better than a statistics textbook.
On Thursday 14 August, the Wall Street Journal had two excellent articles, which expertly described the statistics and uncertainty of their topics. Several readers have wrote in asking for an…
