William M. Briggs

World Cup Statistics and Predictions for the Final

A prediction (made on Monday, 28 June) verified: Although---and this has nothing to do with the issue at hand---Argentina's goaltender Sergio Romero stinks, and that's putting it nicely. Every shot…

Statistics

FBI Homicide Statistics: What Are You Most Likely To Be Killed With?

It's the start of a long weekend and the time for a diversion. It's the fourth of July weekend and our lesson is: if you older than 50, beware strangers…

Statistics

Siena Presidential Scholar President Rankings: Are They Biased?

The Siena Research Institute asked 238 presidential scholars to rank each president from 1 (best) to worst (43) in nineteen different categories, plus one overall ranking. A complete list of…

Culture

In Defense of World Cup Enjoyment: A Response to Dalrymple

The much loved, and surely respected, Theodore Dalrymple does not like soccer. He says of soccer fans, "Try as I might to expunge the thought from my mind that this…

Philosophy Statistics

In Defense of Dogmatism

In so far as I have a coherent philosophy of statistics, I hope it is "robust" enough to cope in principle with the whole of statistics, and sufficiently undogmatic not…

Philosophy Statistics

Tricky Probability Problem: Chance of Two Sons, One Born on Tuesday?

Thanks to reader Matt Lewis who sent me this link. Martin Gardner, may he rest in peace, gave us a delicious probability problem: Suppose that Mrs Smith has two children,…

Culture Fun

No Replay In Soccer: Sepp Blatter, Hold Strong!

Hold the line, Sepp. Don't buckle under the pressure, which now is intense and hot, but soon will be slack and not even tepid. We do not need to let…

Philosophy Statistics

Statistics as Beauty; Global Warming Miscellany; SATs Biased?; More

Statistics is Beautiful? From reader Yeah, Yeah comes a link to a Wired article which assures us we should "Learn the Language of Data." It's not a pretty language, but…

Cary Cotterman on More On Monkeys Typing Shakespeare & Why Chance Isn’t EnoughJanuary 15, 2025
Insider info says a roomful of chimps write Kamala Harris's public utterances. All the superhero movie scripts of the past…
Hagfish Bagpipe on More On Monkeys Typing Shakespeare & Why Chance Isn’t EnoughJanuary 15, 2025
Thats all well and good, Briggs, and pretty funny, too, but why not just torture the model until she says…
Paul Murphy on More On Monkeys Typing Shakespeare & Why Chance Isn’t EnoughJanuary 15, 2025
Reminds me a lot of stuff I used to do for fun - a great way to lose girlfriends, of…
Brian (bulaoren) on More On Monkeys Typing Shakespeare & Why Chance Isn’t EnoughJanuary 15, 2025
In an effort to narrow the gap; between Finite and Infinite, we might try compiling a list of fluent (public)…
Heresolong on More On Monkeys Typing Shakespeare & Why Chance Isn’t EnoughJanuary 15, 2025
I appreciate that they had a sense of humor about it but there is no "Finite Monkeys Theorem", there's only…

William M. Briggs

More On Monkeys Typing Shakespeare & Why Chance Isn’t Enough

Surgeon General Demands Label War Against Wine

Class 34: The Excesses & Errors Of Epidemiology III

England’s Rulers Insist Natives Must Assimilate To “Migrants”

Experts: Please Begin Panicking Over Bird Flu. Us: No. Experts: (Sob)

Environmental Experts To Rip Out Trees, Build Solar Electric Plant In Snow Belt To “Save The Environment”

Class 33: The Excesses & Errors Of Epidemiology II

Register Your Predictions For 2025!

Happy New Year!

How Did We Do In Our 2024 Predictions?

Hot New The Science: Kids Are Having Climate Emotions

Merry Christmas!

The Lesson Scientists Never Learn

House Cramnibus Funds New Follow-The-Science Panics

Probability Puzzle Paradox: Which Boxes To Take?

As Woke Falls, What Rises?

Class 32: The Excesses & Errors Of Epidemiology I (All Should Read)

Who’s Better at Playing Doctor, Boys Or Girls?

How The Enlightenment Led To Contraception (And Other Forms of Anti-Natal Behavior)

Science Model Told To Say Masks Work Discovers Masks Work

In Which Feynman Makes A Mistake: Negative Probabilities (Used In AI, QM, Finance)

More On Monkeys Typing Shakespeare & Why Chance Isn’t Enough

Surgeon General Demands Label War Against Wine

World Cup Statistics and Predictions for the Final

FBI Homicide Statistics: What Are You Most Likely To Be Killed With?

Siena Presidential Scholar President Rankings: Are They Biased?

In Defense of World Cup Enjoyment: A Response to Dalrymple

In Defense of Dogmatism

Tricky Probability Problem: Chance of Two Sons, One Born on Tuesday?

No Replay In Soccer: Sepp Blatter, Hold Strong!

Statistics as Beauty; Global Warming Miscellany; SATs Biased?; More

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