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…

Cary Cotterman on Lady Academics Tire Of Being Judged By Peer ReviewSeptember 21, 2026
Every time I think I've read about an academic paper at the very bottom of the abyss of idiocy, another…
Tars Tarkas on Lady Academics Tire Of Being Judged By Peer ReviewSeptember 21, 2026
"articulating that the checkboxes presume a reviewer who is an objective, disembodied expert untouched by power. " They aren't wrong…
Tars Tarkas on Lady Academics Tire Of Being Judged By Peer ReviewSeptember 21, 2026
Among the many flaws of peer review is the weaponization of peer-review for political purposes. Some academic offends the ladies,…
Neil Jordan on Class 94: Quantifying The UnquantifiableSeptember 17, 2026
At last, an opportunity to join you in the "Quagmire of Marginal Statistics." This and later quote are from memory…
McChuck on The MRS Degree — Guest Post by Johnathan EdwardsSeptember 17, 2026
"South Korea and Japan will no longer exist, perhaps in our lifetime, if they don’t start reproducing or bringing more…