Stories and statistics – August 2015 issue preview
In a 2010 New York Times column, mathematician John Allen Paulos wrote about stories and…
Brian TarranAugust 12, 2015
Where is Donald Trump’s statistician?
When Donald Trump announced his candidacy for President of the United States, he included a…
Too many flats, not enough houses? The geography of London’s new housing
The UK is currently experiencing climbing property prices and a growing housing demand coupled with…
Alasdair RaeJuly 9, 2015
Welcome to DotCity: a game about demography, built using R
Statisticians swear by R. The programming language is described by Tal Galili of the R-Statistics…
Brian TarranJuly 2, 2015
Official stats mask extent of domestic violence in the UK
Research has found that the rate of violent crime is 60% higher than official statistics…
Sylvia WalbyJune 15, 2015
Pollgate: hindsight is wonderful but it doesn’t answer what went wrong
After the pre-election polls spectacularly failed to predict a Conservative majority, many are seriously asking…
Oz FlanaganJune 11, 2015
How trustworthy are electronic voting systems in the US?
When you do your civic duty, and cast your vote for the various candidates and…
Beth ClarksonJune 5, 2015
Five things we learned at the RSS #immigrationfacts debate
One of the more interesting dynamics in British politics in recent years has been the…
Brian TarranApril 28, 2015
Uber vs yellow cabs: how big and open data shows which is best
Over the last few months, we have been developing a mobile app called OpenStreetCab. The…
Anastasios NoulasApril 1, 2015
Han Solo and Bayesian priors
One of the most memorable errors in statistical analysis is a scene from The Empire…
Will KurtMarch 27, 2015
The political pollsters’ report card: the statisticians’ verdict
Election season is now well underway in the UK and every scandal, botched interview and…
Deirdre Toher & Robin EvansMarch 11, 2015
Return of the mean: the historical cost of filling the tank
Drivers have been rejoicing since the start of the year at the plummeting price of…
Oz FlanaganJanuary 22, 2015
How do the changing seasons affect urban bike riders?
I love cycling. While I could write a whole manifesto about why bike riding is…
Ilan ManJanuary 8, 2015
How many British immigrants are there in other countries?
The British public is obsessed with immigration. The notion of Johnny Foreigner coming over here,…
Oz FlanaganNovember 18, 2014
Does Christmas really come earlier every year?
It has become something of a cliché to remark upon the ever earlier arrival of…
Nathan CunninghamNovember 11, 2014
Does New York City really have as many rats as people?
New York City’s rat problem is infamous. The media describes a metropolis under never-ending siege…
Jonathan AuerbachOctober 10, 2014
The hot hand effect gets hot again
When statisticians make an appearance in the press or popular culture they are often portrayed…
Stephanie KovalchikMarch 18, 2014
Looking ahead to the Winter Olympics (by looking back)
Fans of broken ankles rejoice! The Winter Olympics - that quadrennial celebration of people flinging…
Michael WallaceFebruary 6, 2014
How involved are disabled people in the modern economy?
Since today is the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, I want to highlight some…
Dane KorverDecember 3, 2013
Legal vs clinical trials: an explanation of sampling errors and sample size
Clinical trials are often conducted to test new drugs, especially drugs for treating cancer. The…
Terry MillsOctober 11, 2013
