EU referendum – how the polls got it wrong again
Estimating the likely outcome of the referendum on the UK’s membership of the EU was…
John CurticeJune 27, 2016
Lost in the crowd? A statistician explains how to find your friends at a music festival
While mobile phones have all but eradicated the fine art of getting lost, there are…
The EU referendum – one week to go: extracting insights from Facebook using R
A referendum is being held on 23 June to provide an answer to the question…
JulianJune 20, 2016
Fewer jeers, more cheers: How to improve the chances of a home-town triumph
With Euro 2016 and the Copa América providing ample entertainment for soccer lovers the world…
Michael WallaceJune 16, 2016
Should Wayne Rooney play in Euro 2016?
Just as quickly as the English Premier League came and went, the European Championship in…
Ian McHaleJune 1, 2016
Forecast error: European referenda, past and present
Should we stay or should we go? That is the question being put to voters…
Timothy Martyn HillMay 25, 2016
Are robots taking our jobs?
If you put water on the stove and heat it up, it will at first…
Moshe Y. VardiMay 12, 2016
What would happen if UK residents stopped having babies?
For our latest 'Ask a statistician' column, the Year 6 children of Milwards Primary School…
Brian TarranMay 4, 2016
The challenges for GDP, now and in the future
When Professor Sir Charlie Bean published his review of UK economic statistics in March, he…
Diane CoyleApril 25, 2016
Is ‘you know who’ dead? Predicting the future in Game of Thrones
Credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/umairadeeb/The narrative cliff-hanger is a fiendish device – ramping up drama and tension only…
Richard ValeApril 21, 2016
Higher pay, lower income: the National Living Wage and benefit cuts
The introduction of a “National Living Wage (NLW)” at the beginning of this month marks…
Donald HirschApril 19, 2016
Yes, the polls were wrong. But it is time we understood their limitations
“General election polls in 2015 ‘the most inaccurate’,” said the BBC. “Polling shake-up planned after…
Brian TarranApril 5, 2016
Extracting sunbeams from cucumbers: How to design a better table
In 2009 I did a survey of the use of data displays in a number of…
Howard WainerMarch 31, 2016
How happiness is challenging GDP as the measure of a country’s health
Denmark reclaimed its place as the happiest country in the world, according to the latest…
Paul AnandMarch 23, 2016
Why forensic bite mark analysis lacks teeth
Steven Mark Chaney was convicted in 1987 of the murder of a drug dealer who…
Jim Norton and George DivineMarch 17, 2016
Revisiting the vaccine visualisations
Last year, the vaccination debate was all the rage again. “Pro-vaxxers” were loudly proclaiming that…
Randy OlsonMarch 9, 2016
Ask a statistician: What is the calorific cost of McDonald’s revenue growth?
Robin Bray-Hurren, a calligrapher and printmaker from South London, asks: "In order for McDonald’s to…
Brian TarranMarch 1, 2016
In Brexit vote, economic arguments may trump cultural concerns, says study
On 23 June, the United Kingdom will vote on whether to remain a member of…
Brian TarranFebruary 25, 2016
Overachievers and underachievers at the last three Rugby World Cups
It doesn’t take a sophisticated analysis to conclude that the England team was a disappointment…
Ray StefaniFebruary 23, 2016
Statistically speaking… How long can Pope Francis expect to live?
When elected pope of the Roman Catholic Church on 13 March 2013, the Argentinian priest…
Julian Stander, Luciana Dalla Valle and Mario Cortina BorjaFebruary 18, 2016
