Why Brexit, Dom? Theory 1: you’re a racistWe all know, old college chum, that hatred of foreigners was a driving factor for many Brexit supporters. Were you one of them?Apr 16Apr 16
Dear Dominic CummingsThe guy who lived next door to me at college became the chief architect of Brexit. Nine years after the vote, I still have no idea why he…Apr 7Apr 7
Published inBabel‘With’ is Not a Fucking ConjunctionIn journalistic writing, ‘with’ is threatening to become the only connector in town. Whatever happened to good old ‘and’?Aug 29, 2024A response icon1Aug 29, 2024A response icon1
Statistricks, part 5: the remainder“Statistical thinking will one day be as necessary for efficient citizenship as the ability to read and write” — Samuel S Wilks, 1951*Jul 30, 2024Jul 30, 2024
Statistricks, part 4: how they lie to you with graphsWas the UK really the fastest-growing economy in the G7, as Boris Johnson claimed? Of course it wasn’t. It was a Boris Johnson claimSep 10, 2022Sep 10, 2022
Wokeness: the far right’s last scapegoat“Do-gooders” are no longer just a nuisance — their “decadence”, according to populist demagogues, is now an existential threat to…May 12, 2022May 12, 2022
Statistricks part 3: how they lie to you with pollsSurveys are way off with their predictions too often to be of any real use. So why are they such big business?Nov 21, 2021Nov 21, 2021
How they lie with statistics, part 2: the value of nothingHere’s a thought experiment. Picture a woman who’s two metres tall (about 6ft 6in). Easy, right? Now picture a second woman, standing next…Dec 16, 2020Dec 16, 2020
Statistricks: how they lie to you with numbers (part 1)If we’re going to fight back against the populists’ calculated assault on truth, we need to raise our numbers gameNov 12, 2020Nov 12, 2020
The 3M test: how to upgrade your bullshit detectorIn the time of coronavirus, the ability to tell good info from bad is more vital than ever. How do you sort the gold from the trash?Apr 19, 2020Apr 19, 2020
