Posted inPhilosophy Statistics
I Was Wrong About Axioms: Day One Teaching
I was wrong about how belief in axioms are held. I was not wrong about the beliefs themselves, which is to say, the axioms which we all know and love…
Posted inStatistics
Democrats Received 42% More Donations Than Republicans, Even Including Koch Brothers
Open Secrets tracks donations made to political parties in the States, a difficult thing to do, particularly since Americans can give in many different ways. Press reports on money are…
Posted inPhilosophy Statistics
Nine Counter-Arguments To Frequentism
It is well to collect cogent proofs of frequentism's failings so that supporters of that theory can look upon them and find joy. Alan Hájek has done yeoman service in…
Posted inStatistics
Female-Named Hurricanes Deadlier Than Males. Implicit Sexism Kills!
"Say, Elbert. What's the name of that there hurricane that's fixin' to pounce upon us?" "Lolita, I think." "What? Lolita!? I ain't evacuatin' nowheres! Not for no fee-male 'cane. Gimme…
Posted inPhilosophy Statistics
There Is No Such Thing As Intrinsic Probability
This is less fun than looking at the so-called principle of indifference, which you must read first, and I realize we're wading into the depths and on a Friday, but…
Posted inStatistics
Failed Counterexamples To The Principle Of Indifference
What is the so-called Principle Of Indifference? A semi-screwy, semi-right idea in probability. To cadge an example from David Stove, let T be any tautology (a truth), then Pr(Bob…
Posted inStatistics
Can A Disgusting Smell Turn You Conservative And Against Gay “Marriage”?
Can sniffing a sticky stained organic tote bag that has seen one too many trips to Whole Foods turn you into the kind of activist that haunts street corners and…
Posted inStatistics
Foreclosures Causing Suicides?
Remember our discussion of the Spurious Correlations website, nicely paired with the Regression Isn't What You Think post? The two keys points of both are the (a) "statistically significant" correlations,…