Data and Samples

Abstract

Think about a time when you heard someone talking in a different language. Maybe you listened to the voice tones or the volume or the flow of words. Maybe you almost started thinking you could hear a familiar word or two, only to realize not. Statistics can sometimes feel like you are listening to a different language. In fact, in many ways, it is a different language. Just like an English class has nouns and verbs and a dictionary, so too statistics has new ideas that need a dictionary definition. It also has new verbs – new actions – that you must practice. No one is good at playing guitar or violin the first time they try. No one starts off good at football or swimming. Most likely, you, like us, “cooked” more than one meal that was not exactly good eating. Statistics is exactly the same way; no one starts off being good at thinking statistically. It is a new language, a new skill set, and a new way of thinking about the world around us. All the same, just like learning all those other skills, we think one of the best ways to learn is by seeing and doing statistics rather than just talking about it.