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
How to be productive - Part 2 - Methods
In Part 1 of this series I describe some of the apps I've used. Here I speak about some of the methods I have tried to be productive.
The List …
#productivity
How to be productive - Part 1 - Apps
I am a to-do list app junkie, unfortunately. Actually, beyond that, I am a productivity method junkie. Of course, I recognize that in doing so I often make myself less …
#productivity
I'm not a Denier, I'm a Skeptic And yes, there is a difference
In this tumultuous time, it is important to not demonize people who disagree with you. It is also important to recognize that people can have nuanced views on complex subjects …
#science
Art, Scientific Reductionism, and the New Neuroscience
Introduction
In an article in the Chronicle of Higher Education, Alva Noë challenges the neuroscience paradigm, summarized as
The momentous proposition is this: Every thought, feeling, experience, impression, value, argument …
#science
Where probabilities and theology meet
We start with the article Why the resurrection data can be evidence for theism, and why arguments for resurrection need not presuppose theism – formal demonstrations.
#religion
Happy New Year (again)! A Time for New Beginnings (again)
As I have written before, I love the idea of New Year’s Day. It’s a time for reflection, contemplation, self improvement. I realize that it is technically just …
#articles
Push Back Against Bayes
In his blog post about Bayes' theorem part 1 and part 2, John Loftus wrestles with the notion of prior probability and the application of Bayes' Theorem. His concern seems …
#articles
Not all Extraordinary Claims are Equal
Although we may believe that a chick can be born inside a hen on weak testimonial evidence, we are not therefore justified to believe all other extraordinary claims on weak testimonial evidence.
#articles
Do Skeptics Underestimate the Case for the Resurrection? Not so much.
As someone who is skeptical of the resurrection myself, I am not particularly impressed when someone finds it “extremely difficult to deal with as a critic”. It really isn’t all that hard.
#articles
Does Art Lead Math? Not as far as I can see
In all of these comparisons between art and mathematics I am struck with a feeling that the writer is somehow trying to add a layer of legitimacy to the art by connecting it to mathematics or to science. I don't think this does a service to either the art or the mathematics.
#articles
Four Types of Bayesian-Frequentist Comparisons
It is important when discussing different perspectives to keep clear what the vocabulary is. If you expand the problem set to include limited \(N\) problems, with non-Normal distributions (such as Beta and Cauchy), then the differences start to become apparent.
#articles
Twitter, Zombies, and the Fate of the World
Twitter, Zombies, and the Fate of the World is my presentation today at the Analytics without Borders Conference.
Dynamical systems are mathematical constructions containing multiple interacting parts which vary in …
#articles
Mind Reader and Skepticism
From the archives, but I bumped into this on my computer and was reminded how cool of a demo for skepticism it is. Enjoy!
Here is a simple website which …
#articles
Do we really need algebra 2 and calculus?
From time to time I hear proposals to restructure math or science secondary education. Two examples are an article in slate about algebra 2 and a popular ted talk about …
#articles
Are there serious problems with evolution?
In their article, Top 10 problems with biological and chemical evolution, the Discovery Institute outlines their best critiques of evolution (i.e. biological evolution) and abiogenesis (i.e. chemical evolution …
#articles
Philosophy of science and the burden of proof
I was just reminded about the difference between philosophy and science. I've written about this topic before here and here. This particular reminder came in the form of Blake Giunta's …
#articles
Pascal's Wager Again some quick thoughts
I haven't written much on Pascal's Wager, but I had this small thought. Perhaps someday I'll flesh this out a bit more.
Introduction
In the standard Pascal’s Wager, the …
#articles
Climate Change Point and Counterpoint
In this post, I am reacting to a very interesting and well researched post where a liberal argues that the climate science is not as settled as we hear. I …
#articles
Can you guess my sign? Testing Astrology
A friend of mine who is interested in astrology claims that he can determine my astrological sign from some simple questions, and knowing me for years (although not knowing my …
#articles
Even if determinism were true it wouldn't matter
Introduction
There is a great paper Thermal noise and the emergence of the arrow of time: A simple model that illustrates the notion of the role of uncertainty in the …
#articles
Free Will On My Mind
Usually when thinking about free will my thoughts run in circles. However the recent talks by Sean Carroll were some of the clearest exposition on the topic. In summary we …
#articles
