What to make of the coronavirus “mortality rate”? Communicating risk effectively
Photo by Markus Spiske on UnsplashLanguage is powerful, and how we use it subconsciously shapes…
Narcyz GhineaApril 9, 2020
Probably maybe: Ice cream variation
Photo by Mark Cruz on UnsplashThe saying goes that “probabilities are counter-intuitive”. A simple problem…
Playing with risk
Imagine you hold three six-sided dice in your hand. Now throw them, and before they…
Brian TarranDecember 3, 2018
How to explain screening test outcomes
Consider the following problem: “The serum test screens pregnant women for babies with Down's syndrome.…
Tim BrockApril 27, 2017
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
Ask a statistician: What are the chances of World War III?
In the second instalment of our new 'Ask A Statistician' column, Peter McIntyre, a pharmaceutical…
Brian TarranJanuary 5, 2016
What do we mean when we say ‘better data’?
Statistics play an important role in improving human lives, not least through helping to identify…
Maitha Al Junaibi and Karl Royce AshworthDecember 1, 2015
The stats in sport panel at RSS 2015: the bigger picture
In the absence of huge amounts of money, gaining a competitive edge in sport requires…
Oz FlanaganSeptember 30, 2015
