What is risk know-how?
"Risk know-how is about informed decision-making. Every risk entails a trade-off with the benefits and…
Brian TarranNovember 30, 2021
Misinterpreting statistical anomalies and risk assessment when analysing Covid-19 deaths by ethnicity
Bigstockphoto/Andreajk3Imagine there is a country called Bayesland that is divided into two distinct geographical areas…
College sports and Covid-19. It’s complicated
Photo by Riley McCullough on UnsplashUniversities around the United States are struggling to deliver their…
Sheldon H. JacobsonOctober 1, 2020
A confluence of acute and chronic diseases: Risk factors among Covid-19 patients
Photo by De an Sun on UnsplashCovid-19 is a highly contagious infectious disease caused by…
TarekMay 27, 2020
Yellow fever experiments, and early informed consent
In the June 2020 issue of Significance, we tell the story of medical researchers in the…
Ronald D. Fricker, Jr and Steven E. RigdonMay 6, 2020
Preventing cancer: mere rhetoric or a promising plan?
Photo by Ken Treloar on UnsplashIn December 1971, two years after the successful Apollo 11…
Mats Julius Stensrud and Morten ValbergFebruary 13, 2019
Playing with risk
Imagine you hold three six-sided dice in your hand. Now throw them, and before they…
Brian TarranDecember 3, 2018
Misunderstanding the global burden of alcohol
Harmful alcohol consumption is known to cause several diseases and many deaths. A study published…
Kari PoikolainenNovember 19, 2018
So, were you surprised by the BBC/ONS crime risk calculator?
On 7 September this year, the BBC published a "crime risk calculator". A product of BBC…
Andromachi Tseloni and Ken PeaseNovember 1, 2017
Why don’t people get it? Seven ways that communicating risk can fail
Many public conversations we have about science-related issues involve communicating risks: describing them, comparing them…
Rod LambertsJanuary 6, 2017
Join Significance at the RSS Conference in Manchester
Significance will be heading to Manchester, England next week to take part in the annual…
Brian TarranSeptember 1, 2016
Ask a statistician: Why can we not predict earthquakes?
Hundreds of people have been killed since the start of the year as a result…
Brian TarranAugust 25, 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
Bacon, cancer, and the vital importance of statistical reasoning
In September 2015, the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) International Agency for Research in Cancer (IARC)…
David SpiegelhalterJanuary 29, 2016
How do you measure disaster risk?
In September this year, the UN’s Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) will come to an end…
Julia HallAugust 25, 2015
Climate change: the next generation’s problem?
The narrative on the importance of tackling climate change has generally come from the scientists…
Oz FlanaganSeptember 26, 2013
Omega-3: wonder-supplement or cancer risk?
A new shock horror health story. ‘Taking health supplements with omega-3 fatty acids can increase…
Julian ChampkinJuly 15, 2013
Fireballs falling to Earth: Part 3
The subject of today's article is impact risk and concludes the three-part series looking at…
Jordi PratsMarch 28, 2013
