Briggs

Politico’s Biased Reporting Of Its Own Poll

Today's post is over at Legal Insurrection. The headline, helpfully supplied by William Jacobson, is "Politico poll showing 'plurality support' for gay marriage also shows majority opposition." Headline writing is…

Fun

Reader Poll: Mayan Apocalypse, For or Against?

In just over a week, on 21 December, it will be the glorious End of Times or it will be just over a week from today. Which is to be…

Culture Statistics

What Can We Learn From A Crude Model Of Sexually Transmitted Diseases?

It's Statistical Modeling Day, so let's look at one dealing with sexually transmitted diseases. Why this subject? Well, according to New York's CBS 2, "Study Shows Soaring STD Rates In…

Fun Philosophy

Transhumanists Gather In San Francisco

My first thought when I read the title of today's post (from Bioedge) was that it was some kind of warning. Look out! It's the transhumanists! And then I figured…

Culture Fun

The Superpower I’d Most Like To Have

This is written in earnest; my desire is sincere. And not uncommon: I mean, the longing for a superpower and the announcing of same are not rare. No less than…

Fun Philosophy

Sam Harris & William Lane Craig Duke It Out

The debate question was: Are the foundations of moral values natural or supernatural? Winner? By acclamation Harris, but then the deck was stacked against Lane because the event was held…

Philosophy Statistics

What Does The Regression Equation Mean? Causality? Something Else?

Saw this tweet this fine morning: https://twitter.com/MarkThoma/status/276542962622668800 and downloaded the paper at the landing site, co-authored by Judea Pearl, he of Causality fame (a recommended book). Pearl and a co-author…

Philosophy

Two Oregon Academics Attempt Logic Lesson, Fail Miserably

Bertrand Russell said: "People are zealous for a cause when they are not quite positive that it is true." I think this false and even scurrilous. The zealous are nothing…

hudbwu on Academic Argues For Permissibility of Cannibalism, You RacistDecember 12, 2025
I'll just point out that there is nothing in the Catholic doctrine that prohibits cannibalism. I was quite surprised when…
Johnno on Academic Argues For Permissibility of Cannibalism, You RacistDecember 11, 2025
The cemeteries??? The hospitals themselves will weigh you and cut you up and auction you off just like the first…
John Pate on Class 74: Contra Effect SizesDecember 11, 2025
The big sticking point for me is that everyone assumes they are sampling from the Normal Distribution for no reason…
Rob JM on On That “Bombshell German Study” That “Exposes the PCR Test Fraud That Locked Down the World”December 11, 2025
What the holy tortured and misinterpreted data Batman! They were comparing apples to blended banana splits and then desperately tried…
John Pate on Academic Argues For Permissibility of Cannibalism, You RacistDecember 10, 2025
When the Indo-Pak agricultural systems collapse, which judging by their skirmishes over water will be in the near future, and/or…