A First Course in Statistics, 12th Edition

1.6 The Role of Statistics in Critical Thinking and Ethics

According to H. G. Wells, author of such science-fiction classics as The War of the Worlds and The Time Machine, “Statistical thinking will one day be as necessary for efficient citizenship as the ability to read and write.” Written more than a hundred years ago, Wells’s prediction is proving true today.

The growth in data collection associated with scientific phenomena, business operations, and government activities (quality control, statistical auditing, forecasting, etc.) has been remarkable in the past several decades. Every day the media present us with published results of political, economic, and social surveys. In increasing government emphasis on drug and product testing, for ...