Krasnow Institute > Monday Seminars > Abstracts

Your Brain on Statistics

Rebecca Goldin, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Mathematics
Director of Research, STATS
George Mason University

As scientists we believe that proof of reality comes through hypothesis testing. The paradigm of classical mechanics -- that if you drop a ball a second time, it will still fall -- has been largely replaced with statistical hypotheses. While an apple-a-day may not keep the doctor away for everyone, perhaps there would be fewer doctor visits if we all ate apples. Yet despite the simple principles behind statistics, our media often does a poor job at communicating the results of scientific research, the scientific research itself often contradicts previous results (especially if we read media accounts of it), and our minds are filled with biases that may make it difficult to believe statistical conclusions. In this talk, I will share the mistakes of media reports on medical research -- and partly of brain sciences -- to illustrate the importance of effective communication, and both the pitfalls and promise of trusting our not-so-statistical minds.

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