Statistics and the art of deception

Data scientists use statistics to reach meaningful conclusions about data. Unfortunately, statistical tools are often misapplied, resulting in errors that cost both time and money. Deborah Berebichez presents examples of egregious misuses of statistics in business, technology, science, and the media and outlines the simple steps that can reduce the chance of being fooled by statistics.

Data scientists use statistics to reach meaningful conclusions about data. Unfortunately, statistical tools are often misapplied, resulting in errors that cost both time and money. By being aware of the most common mistakes involving statistics, we can become better and more productive data scientists. To illustrate the kinds of problems that often arise, Deborah Berebichez presents examples of egregious misuses of statistics in business, technology, science, and the media and analyzes them through a review of basic statistical concepts, including sample size, the law of large numbers, statistical significance, and various types of statistical bias. Deborah then provides a statistical regulation checklist to weed out the most common errors and reduce the chance of being fooled by statistics.