William M. Briggs

Space’s 10 Mistakes People Make When Arguing Science

Reader Ken pointed us to Space.com's click-me-click-me! article "The 10 Mistakes People Make When Arguing Science". Since everybody loves numbered lists, I'll duplicate their efforts here, using their mistakes. Isn't…

Culture Philosophy

On Remaining Quiet In Time Of War

Those who are unwilling to hold this is true will be subject to those who will. Those who cannot defend their beliefs must accept the rule of those who do.…

Philosophy SAMT

Summary Against Modern Thought: God’s Understanding Is His Essence

See the first post in this series for an explanation and guide of our tour of Summa Contra Gentiles. All posts are under the category SAMT. Previous post. We're entering…

Philosophy

The Miracles-Don’t-Exist-So-Miracles-Don’t-Exist Argument

https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=69&v=0d4FHHf00pY Say something nice: the Miracles-Don't-Exist-So-Miracles-Don't-Exist argument is conditionally true. If miracles are impossible, miracles, it follows logically, don't happen. No escaping the iron cladedness of that (you heard me:…

Fun Statistics

Masters Statistics & (Some) Predictions

Here's a view of the winning scores from par since the inception of the tournament. The early years saw little variability, but since the 60s there were a lot more…

Statistics

P-Value Hacking Is Finally Being Noticed

Since I'm on the road, all typos today are free of charge. Some reasonably good news to report. A peer-reviewed paper: "The fickle P value generates irreproducible results" by Lewis…

Fun

Discuss

I'm on the road---and in a chair.

Statistics

What Evidence Would Persuade You That Man-Made Climate Change Is Real?

Somebody named Ronald Bailey (he isn't anybody I know) at the inaptly named Reason asked the good question which heads this post. Second thought: the question is awful. No scientist…

shawn marshall on Lewontin’s Other Fallacy: Race & IntelligenceSeptember 1, 2026
Let me say something stupid cuz I'm not vey bright - to me it is an indication of the Existence…
Carlos Julio Casanova Guerra on Lewontin’s Other Fallacy: Race & IntelligenceSeptember 1, 2026
I was hoping you wrote about race, because I wanted to hand you a quote, since long ago, but I…
McChuck on Lewontin’s Other Fallacy: Race & IntelligenceSeptember 1, 2026
DIE, put this way, sounds an awful lot like Lysenkoism.
John Pate on Lewontin’s Other Fallacy: Race & IntelligenceSeptember 1, 2026
As I'm fond of pointing out, a 100% of the reason you're a man and not a monkey is genetics.…
John Pate on A New Kind Of University: Your Comments WantedAugust 30, 2026
Not convinced you're encroaching on the functions of the universities with this initiative. Seems to me the primary functions of…

William M. Briggs

Lewontin’s Other Fallacy: Race & Intelligence

Fertility Fears Overblown: Tiny Shift in Childless Rate Saves The Species

A New Kind Of University: Your Comments Wanted

Bad Black Health Blamed On Slavery

Is Moral Certainty Possible?

We Passed Peak “Climate Change” (um) Research

Sweet Wee Ps Say Sugar Makes You Lose Your Mind

AI Is Neither Artificial Nor Intelligent

You Can’t Con An Honest Man & The Case of Jason Arday

Academics: Achieve Sustainability by Easing Population to 4 Billion by 2200

The Impossibility of Proposition Nations

Ugly Women Rulers Condemn Lookism

The Wee P Boogie: The Song That’s Sweeping the Nation!

Wolfgang Smith For Everyone

Death By Organ Donation

$7.11 at 7:11 PM on 7/11 at 7/11: What Are The Chances?

Caution Against The Precautionary Principle: Interview with Jaap Hanekamp

Believing In God Makes You Crave Potato Chips, Say Academics

Hume’s Guillotine, Euclid’s Catapult: Induction, Axioms, and Objective Ethics

University of California Prof Tries To Save System From DIEing

The Equality Paradox