Making Sense of Number Claims

Environmental & Science Education, STEM, Maths, Mathematics Education, History of Science, Nature of Science

Ed Hessler

--"Statistical thinking will one day be as necessary for efficient citizenship as the ability to read and write." H. G. Wells

BBC Ideas asks "When can you trust statistics?"

In this video (4m 49s), writer and broadcaster Tim Harford notes that we are surrounded by numbers and statistical data. He then points out that "Statistics can show us things about the world that we can't perceive in any other way." In this video, Harford provides three tips for making sense of those numbers and claims. 

Harford is the widely acclaimed "numbers guy" (y characterization) and author of the recently published "The Data Detective: Ten Easy Rules to Make Sense of Statistics." Take a look inside the book at this link and read what others say about it.