Stats + Stories

Every year, statistics classes are filled with math averse students who white knuckle it to the end of the semester in the hopes of getting a passing grade. And the dream of forgetting about math and statistics for a little while. But what if it didn’t have to be that way? What if instead of white knuckling it, students were actually excited about the subject; or, at the very least, not terrified of it? Two professors has been developing strategies to help students get over their fear of “sadisistics” and that’s the focus of this special two part episode Stats and Stories

Being able to create compelling data visualizations is an expectation of a diverse array of fields, from sports to journalism to education. But learning how to create charts that spark joy can be difficult if you're not confident in your abilities. A recent book is designed to help people become more comfortable creating compelling charts, and it's the focus of this episode of Stats and Stories with guest Alli Torban.

The democratic engine of the United States relies on accurate and reliable data to function. A year-long study of the 13 federal agencies involved in U-S data collection – including the Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, and the National Center for Education Statistics – suggests that the nation’s statistics are at risk. The study was produced by the American Statistical Association in partnership with George Mason University and supported by the Sloan Foundation and is the focus of this episode of Stats+Stories