Why Statistics Is Important The science of learning from data is more important than ever
Thu, 02/21/2013 - 16:01
‘There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics.” I’m sure you’ve heard this most vile comment, which was popularized by Mark Twain, among others. This dastardly phrase impugns the reputation of statistics. The implication is… How Effective Are Flu Shots?Sometimes 60% isn’t all it’s cracked up to be
Mon, 01/28/2013 - 11:15
This flu season has been worse than normal. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data show that the flu has struck early and hard. Influenza cases shot up during December rather than the more usual January or February, and 47 states… How to Test Your Discrete Distribution Test before you model
Mon, 12/17/2012 - 12:27
In my last article, “Understanding and Using Discrete Distribution,” we looked at different discrete distributions and how you can use them. This time, I’ll show you how to determine whether your data follow a specific discrete distribution. (Read… Understanding and Using Discrete DistributionsEach has special properties that you should use for specific cases
Fri, 11/30/2012 - 16:59
Previously, I’ve written about how to use Minitab to identify the distribution of your continuous data. That post prompted several questions about how to use and identify discrete distributions. If you are a quality improvement analyst who works… What’s Your Zipf Slope?Using statistics to analyze words: digging deeper
Tue, 10/09/2012 - 09:31
In my last column, “Detecting the Signature of Information,” I showed how it’s possible to statistically assess the structure of a message and determine its capacity to convey information. We saw how my own words fit the patterns that are present in… Detecting the Signature of InformationUsing statistics to analyze words
Fri, 10/05/2012 - 16:27
Science television shows are the main reason we have cable TV in my house. We recently saw a show in which researchers recorded dolphin squeaks to determine whether their sounds are a real language. The researchers claimed that word usage in all… Are Yawns Contagious?Busting <em>MythBusters</em> with statistics
Tue, 07/17/2012 - 10:59
Statistics can be unintuitive. What’s a large difference? What’s a large sample size? When is something statistically significant? You might think you know, based on experience and intuition, but you really don’t know until you actually run the… To Err Is Human, to Err Randomly Is Statistically DivineWhy you need to check your residual plots for regression analysis
Thu, 04/12/2012 - 10:38
Anyone who has performed ordinary least squares (OLS) regression analysis knows that you need to check the residual plots to validate your model. Have you ever wondered why? There are mathematical reasons, of course, but I’m going to focus on the… Reassessing GDP Growth with Data and Statistics, Part Three I-MR chart of the third GDP estimates
Wed, 02/01/2012 - 15:39
Story update 2/2/2012: We inadvertently used the wrong graphic for the Third Estimates. This has been fixed.
This is part three in a series where we assess what information we can obtain from the various estimates of quarterly GDP growth using… Reassessing GDP Growth with Data and Statistics, Part OneUsing control charts to steer through election-year data
Thu, 01/26/2012 - 12:17
If you combine tough economic times with a presidential election year, you get a heightened interest in how the economy is changing. Is it growing faster or slowing down? Unsurprisingly, there are many contradictory predictions about what will…
