Writers from both inside and outside statistics have taught me a great deal about thinking about data, data analysis, statistics, measurement AND about communicating statistics to the public. I have been inspired, and my thinking has been shaped by these contributions. I want to share some recommendations in this post.
Continue reading “Statistician reacting to Statisticians (and others) reacting to the news: A meta-post with reading recommendations”Month: December 2020
To bike or not to bike … in a group?
As the world waits for the vaccine, many people wonder what activities are safe to help pass the time. I am the same, wondering if it is safe to bike outside in a group or not.
Continue reading “To bike or not to bike … in a group?”The accidental experiment that saved 700 lives
Paul Alper sends along this news article by Sarah Kliff, who writes: “Three years ago, 3.9 million Americans received a plain-looking envelope from the Internal Revenue Service. Inside was a letter stating that they had recently paid a fine for not carrying health insurance and suggesting possible ways to enroll in coverage. . . .”
Continue reading “The accidental experiment that saved 700 lives”
The important role of randomness
The secretary of state in the US state of Georgia recently announced that the state would conduct a risk-limiting audit of the presidential election votes. This means they will collect a random sample of ballots, and count them, comparing to the outcome of the original count.
Informed decision making by protest, not by statistics and data science
It is very worrisome to see governments of developing countries, such as Nigeria, not using evidence from statistics and data science to inform decision making – rather relying on protest and strike actions by the populace.
Continue reading “Informed decision making by protest, not by statistics and data science”