In statistics, we draw conclusions from data. But to get data, we need to be able to measure the variable(s) that we are interested in. Measuring can be very crude (say, a trait is absent or present) or rather sophisticated …

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The hot hand is a term used in basketball to describe a player making a series of successful throws at the basket, i.e., getting “hot”. But it seems that we, as humans, are too fast at jumping at the conclusion …

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Do you like risk? Or, more precisely, do you like to assess and quantify risk and put a price on it (the premium that insurance collects)? If yes, consider becoming an actuary. This profession almost always makes the top 10 …

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Recent concerns of serious side effects in drugs (culminating in the withdrawals of blockbuster drugs such as Merck’s Vioxx) have lead to an increased public interest in the safety and toxicity of pharmaceutical products. Drug safety data are commonly included …

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