Books
Books that I have written.
Media Appearances
Podcasts and Videos in which I have appeared or which I have created.
pyndamics3
Dynamical systems simulation in Python. Includes both continuous and stochastic simulation.
Stats for Everyone
An introductory stats book from a Bayesian perspective, including Python software.
I am a Scientist, Skeptic, and Professor at Bryant University. My goal is to make technical subject matters widely accessible and to use my analytical and computational skills to assist anyone with their science-related problems.
Blog
Suppression of Ideas in Science
This is very typical of "science" that doesn't work. You get a group of devout people supporting it who claim that the scientific establishment is unfair …
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Free Will and Entropy
In Sam Harris’ talk on free will, we have the following comment:
“if we caught a serial killer, we’d assume his responsibility because of his ability to have chosen …
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On Being Wrong
I tell my students that I supremely hope that they have the experience of one of their cherished ideas shown to be wrong. I was recently confronted with a perception …
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Evolution and Rationality
Stephen Law vs Alvin Plantinga on the Unbelievable podcast on the topic of the "The Evolutionary Argument Against Naturalism".
Basic argument, from Wikipedia on Evolutionary argument against naturalism
I haven't …
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What is good in religion
I was asked recently if I thought there was anything good about religion. I felt it was an important enough question to give it a fair amount of thought. Coincidentally …
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Best quote in a while about global warming...
In the article Sixteen Concerned Scientists: No Need to Panic About Global Warming, physicist Ivar Giaever is quotes the American Physical Society policy on global warming: 'The evidence is incontrovertible …
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Bayes and Hiccups: Practical working solutions that no one seems to know
So I've been interested in Bayesian analysis for some time. It has a fascinating history, described in detail in "The theory that would not die" by McGrayne - a truly wonderful …
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Santa and other delusions
Given how I seem to support no delusions, how can I justify perpetuating the myth of Santa Claus with my kids (oldest nearing 10)? First, I have to say I …
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Einstein and the Motives of Scientists
I just got a [shout out from The Legal Watchdog, Michael Cicchini][] for a post I did on [dark matter and the speed of light][]. His response to my criticism …
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The Bible Foreshadows Scientific Discoveries?
Here is an interesting site ["The Bible Foreshadows Scientific Discoveries"][] where there are quotes from the Bible that supposedly pre-dated the actual scientific discoveries. It is interesting for the number …
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Closed to the supernatural?
I have often heard the charge that critics of the concept of God are simply closed to the possibility of a transcendent being, or of miracles, or of the supernatural …
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Presuppositionalism vs evidentialism
These two terms that I had never heard before came up when listening to some Christian apologetic podcasts (specifically Please Convince Me and Stand to Reason). There seems to be …
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More fine tuning...NOT
One of the so-called fine-tuned parameters in our solar system (fine-tuned specifically for the development of complex life) is that we have a planet with a large moon (compared to …
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Things science can't explain
During a debate on evolution and design, Professor Edgar Andrews from Queen Mary College London stated that there were four things that science could never explain. He pointed out that …
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Conversation with Steve Winsor
From: Steven Winsor Subject: FW: Remember This Guy? - Genius! Date: November 30, 2011 10:20:43 AM EST To: Brian Blais
See last Reagan comment..is he right? J
Not …
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What's wrong with this?
So I was asked recently "what was wrong with someone who, because of their religious convictions, chooses not to participate in scientific research (the example used was nuclear bomb research …
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Best evidence for...
In preparing for a talk on Science and Religion, I came upon this somewhat amusing example. I did a google search for "Best evidence for..." and filled in one of …
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A sensible post on climate change...for a change
A very reasoned addition to the climate change discussion. Well done!
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Language of Science
One of the things that I noticed, starting as an undergraduate and moving into graduate school, is that scientists have a peculiar sort of conservative language. They'll say things like …
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Offended by prayer on a mural
In Cranston, RI there is a lawsuit about a mural depicting a school-sanctioned prayer. The image of the mural is here:
The student was offended by having this prayer here …
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The Florida problem - a new intuition
1. Introduction
In a prior couple of posts here and here I look into the "evil" probability problem of the girl-named-Florida. This problem compares the following two situations:
Say you …
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