William M. Briggs

The Second & Third Most Depressing Graphs: The Encroachment Of Government

Update This stays top for today because we're still waiting for some regulars to chime in and because I'm busy. Here is federal government spending as a fraction of the…

Culture Statistics

The Most Depressing Graph: Per Capita Federal Spending Rises Alarmingly: Update

There is no more saddening picture of the progress of government than this one (the second & third most depressing graphs are here): This is the amount of money the…

Fun Statistics

Best Movie Oscar Prediction Via Statistical Modeling: Update, The Model Wins

Update I humbly accept your congratulations. Argo will win Oscar for Best Picture, according to our non-patented, statistically significant almost-mathematical computer model. The key reasons for its victory will be:…

Fun Statistics

Science Proves Farting On Airplanes, Exposing Buttocks To Sun Healthy

According to the latest in medical science, I sat next or near to an exceptionally healthy individual on my last flight. My keen olfactory senses alerted me that a fellow…

Fun

Global warming causes prostitution!

Update Moved up to allow comments. Originally posted November 2009. The Beaujolais nouveau (just got in my case for this year) shot out my nose when I saw this, the…

Book review Philosophy

Against Autonomy: Justifying Coercive Paternalism

Note: I do not own the book discussed below. I refuse to pay for it (it's $95!). If any well-off reader has a copy he would like to donate, then…

Culture

David Daley, Salon Executive Editor, Is A Racist

David Daley is a racist. A racist judges people based on their race. Racism is loathsome. It is vile. Daley, the exceedingly white executive editor of Salon magazine, judges people…

Philosophy 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…

spetzer86 on Death By Organ DonationJuly 28, 2026
Right out of the old Monty Python skit where the guy was a "liver donor" and the guys came to…
The Four Chords of Modern Music - Roadie Music Blog on Four Chords Is All You Need: The Limited Nature of Pop MusicJuly 28, 2026
[…] Four Chords Is All You Need: The Limited Nature of Pop Music […]
Mary Sova on Wolfgang Smith For EveryoneJuly 28, 2026
I caught a small portion your interview with Ken Craycraft on my car radio yesterday, but didn't realize it was…
shawn marshall on Wolfgang Smith For EveryoneJuly 28, 2026
I'm not able to digest a lot of your essay but able to glean some fuzzy notions of the points…
JH on Death By Organ DonationJuly 27, 2026
Here they have no authority: none whatsoever. Is this an appeal to authority used in reverse? It seems that Dr.…

William M. Briggs

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

My Horrible Interaction With AI

SOON

The Court’s Slow Theft Of The Constitution — Guest Post by Ianto Watt

Happy Birthday to US

Never Use Or Trust P-values (Pagan-Values)

Musk Doges Deaths: Researchers Say USAID Absence Kills Kills Kills!

The Intellectual Capacity Of Women by David Stove

Marbles!

Class 92: Simple Optimal Decisions: PSA & Cancer Example

Math Is Epistemic Violence, Says Lady Academic

Truly Random Numbers Found?

Class 91: Try Not To Use the ROC Curve & AUC

Climate Change Increases Risk of Even Slower World Cup Games!