Briggs

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…

Culture Philosophy

National Catholic Reporter Calls For Ordination Of Women

The NCR, the Catholic equivalent of the New York Times, ended their teasing yesterday and came right out and said it. "Catholic women who have discerned a call to the…

Culture Statistics

We Will Soon All Be Mentally Ill: DSM V & Testing All Children For Mental Disease

"The history of psychiatry is littered with fad diagnoses that in retrospect did far more harm than good," says doctor Allen Frances, the chairman of the DSM-IV Task Force and…

Brian (bulaoren) on The Loss of Ephemera — Guest Post by The Blonde BombshellFebruary 23, 2026
Do electronically recorded data last after the physical instrumentations of their creation, and preservation, cease to exist? Do they have…
pouncer on The Loss of Ephemera — Guest Post by The Blonde BombshellFebruary 23, 2026
Internet file "bit rot" doesn't wait for our individual deaths. I have a number of thoughts, (that I expressed carefully)…
Cary D Cotterman on The Loss of Ephemera — Guest Post by The Blonde BombshellFebruary 23, 2026
One of my proudest elementary school achievements was when I successfully altered an "F" on the report card my teacher…
Michael on The Loss of Ephemera — Guest Post by The Blonde BombshellFebruary 23, 2026
i deffinately miss paper tickets, especially on the rare occasion that I am required to fly. Electronics are a larger…
NLR on The Loss of Ephemera — Guest Post by The Blonde BombshellFebruary 23, 2026
That is a good reflection. More evidence that the two things which are frequently said about the modern world: that…