William M. Briggs

The Dire And Depressing Implications Of Science As Scientism: Two Introductions

A long introduction... Scientism is the fallacy that all that is known and all that can be known, can only be known through scientific methods: that which is testable is…

Culture Statistics

Why Republicans Deny Science—And Reality: Request For Help

Update The link to Sam Harris's abysmal study are now provided. That is the (modified) subtitle of the sanctimoniously self-satisfied Chris Mooney's new book, "The Republican Brain: The Science of…

Fun

Leon Panetta Unleashes U.S. Army To Battle Carbon Dioxide

"Sir!" The lieutenant, clearly agitated, rushed into the staff room and snapped to attention. "What is it, Mann? What's the word from the field?" asked the general. "We're surrounded, sir!"…

Statistics

Statistics Proves Same Drug Both Causes And Does Not Cause Same Cancer

No, the title of today's post is not a joke, even though it has often been used that way in the past. The title was inspired by yesterday's Wall Street…

Statistics

Atheists More Motivated By Compassion Than The Faithful?

Why? (Source) Today's title was swiped, word-for-word, from a Live Science press release. This is important because the point I wish to make has to do with how the press…

Statistics

Academic Pscyhologists Over-Rely On WEIRD People: Overconfidence Results

It was just over a month ago that tears of joy came to my eyes while reading an academic paper. This was Simmons et alia's "False-Positive Psychology : Undisclosed Flexibility…

Culture Statistics

The Times Weighs In On The Side Of Wayward Nuns

Nicholas D. Kristof is a good polemicist. In his 28 April 2011 piece "We Are All Nuns" he manages to hide and eventually evade the main argument against him via…

Statistics

More Analytical Thinkers Are Atheists: Study

Analytical thinking in action (source) Somebody some enterprising young academic, not realizing he should keep his mouth shut before attaining tenure, will publish a study which examines the bizarraries found…

Johnno on Why There Are (Probably) No UFOs: “Climate Change”May 26, 2026
JAMES, YOU FOOL! There ACKSHULLY has been evidence of Ball Lightning on High Definition Video and on the News! https://youtu.be/dMsGHmGxyxo?si=obuqsc5ionM10SGw…
Johnno on Creating Microbial Monsters To Terrorize OurselvesMay 26, 2026
But how much bacteria is on the surface of a smartphone touch screen? The filthy thing we tap with our…
C-Marie on Blessed Memorial Day; No Class; See You WednesdayMay 24, 2026
God bless you, dear Matt, and all yours, all the days, and thank you for your faithfulness to our Father,…
spaceranger on Why There Are (Probably) No UFOs: “Climate Change”May 22, 2026
Two things I can never figure out are UFO pictures and police body cam videos.
Dave Narby on Why There Are (Probably) No UFOs: “Climate Change”May 22, 2026
There's been some pretty clear ones lately, at least to the resolution of the camera used, e.g. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcEEXLOORLI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zkZ3x1T0QU This…

William M. Briggs

Shocking Abortion Numbers: Death Distributions Show We’re Living Longer

Blessed Memorial Day; No Class; See You Wednesday

Why There Are (Probably) No UFOs: “Climate Change”

Creating Microbial Monsters To Terrorize Ourselves

Class 89: The Measure Most Modelers Forget: Skill Examples

The Shocking Conclusion of the HR Trilemma!

The HR Trilemma: Which Door Decides Your Fate?

Capital Punishment Deters Crime More Than The Death Penalty

How Experts Use “Calamities” to Find Official Victims & Gain Power

Richard Dawkins, The Big Muscles Fallacy & AI Pachinko

Class 88: The Most Neglected Concept: Skill

The Red-Blue Button Dilemma & Its Surprising Answer

UFO Reports About To Blast Off!

Class 87: Calibration & Conformal Prediction: Examples

Noticing Differences Between Races Does Not Pay

What Are The Chances Of All These Scientists Dying, Killed, Or Going Missing?

Class 86: Calibration & Conformal Prediction: Theory

How A Miracle Turns Mundane

Contest Winner Announced!

Trump’s Last Stand: Mea Culpa, Redux — Guest Post by Ianto Watt

Class 85: Proper Scores of Model Goodness

Shocking Abortion Numbers: Death Distributions Show We’re Living Longer

Blessed Memorial Day; No Class; See You Wednesday

The Dire And Depressing Implications Of Science As Scientism: Two Introductions

Why Republicans Deny Science—And Reality: Request For Help

Leon Panetta Unleashes U.S. Army To Battle Carbon Dioxide

Statistics Proves Same Drug Both Causes And Does Not Cause Same Cancer

Atheists More Motivated By Compassion Than The Faithful?

Academic Pscyhologists Over-Rely On WEIRD People: Overconfidence Results

The Times Weighs In On The Side Of Wayward Nuns

More Analytical Thinkers Are Atheists: Study

There Is No Culture Without Inequality: Stove 1

Impose Your Beliefs Before They Impose Theirs

Telekinesis: Ideas In Our Reenchantment & Rectification

The Physics Of Blessings: Ideas In Our Reenchantment & Rectification