Chance News 94
Quotations
"...classic PPT statistical graphic: 13 logos, 10 numbers, 9 bubbles, 1 giant green arrow."
[quoted in: The real NSA scandal? The horrible slides. Washington Post, Wonkblog, 7 June 2013.]
Submitted by Bill Peterson
“6. (Mar's Law) Everything is linear if plotted log-log with a fat magic marker.”
Submitted by Margaret Cibes
Forsooth
“The afternoon wave of [U.S. Open] starters began their first round Thursday in hot, sticky conditions and finished in cool, breezy weather on Friday. Luke Donald described the difference as ‘180 degrees’ ….”
by Karen Crouse, The New York Times, June 14, 2013
Submitted by Margaret Cibes at the suggestion of Jim Greenwood
Statistics Without Borders
Statistics Without Borders
(not to be confused with “Statisticians WithOut Borders), a consulting group)
Current or future statisticians may be interested in the all-volunteer organization Statistics Without Borders. SWB is an Outreach Group of the ASA consisting of over 400 volunteer statisticians who provide free statistical consulting to organizations and government agencies, particularly from developing nations. Its goal is to “promote the use of statistics to improve the health and well-being of all people.”
The April 2013 issue of Significance magazine contains an article, “Haiti after the earthquake,”[1] that describes one of their 2010 projects.
Submitted by Margaret Cibes
Data about cell and landline phone usage
“Researchers Warn of ‘Bias’ in Landline-Only Phone Polls”
by Steven Shepard, National Journal, June 18, 2013
The CDC reports that landline phone surveys in 2012 were most likely to reach older, whiter Americans. The article gives a number of statistics about landline vs. cell phone usage among various demographic groups.
(The article also states that it is illegal for automatic dialers to call cell phones, which makes polling cell phone holders more expensive. I’m not sure how many companies observe this ban!)
One interesting fact, if true:
Calling the proper number of cell phones is not a guarantee of accuracy: Gallup, which called the most cell phones, was considered among the least accurate survey firms in its 2012 pre-election polls; PPP, which called none, was considered among the most accurate.
Submitted by Margaret Cibes