World Statistics Day
university-of-canterbury
Wed Oct 20 2010 13:00:00 GMT+1300 (New Zealand Daylight Time)
World Statistics Day
Wednesday, 20 October 2010, 1:09 pm
Press Release: University of Canterbury
Press Release for World Statistics Day
A column by Associate Professor Jennifer Brown, Head of the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at the University of Canterbury and President of the NZ Statistical Association:
Today, 20 October, is World Statistics Day. Most New Zealanders will wake up and think it is just another ordinary day, but for the statistics community, this day is about celebrating statistics. It reminds us about our work and why it is so important. The United Nations is promoting World Statistics Day as an annual event, and this is the first year of what will become an annual date.
I admit, being a statistician doesn’t appear to be a glamorous profession, and it’s never a great conversation opener at a party. Let me explain why I think it is glamorous, and why it truly is a great conversation opener.
Statistics underpins so many facets of our lives. Statistics is all about data – collecting data, exploring data, summarising data and reaching sensible conclusions from data. As we move through the computer age more and more data are being collected, stored, and hopefully with the skills of statisticians, are being put to good use.
On a typical day many events have been well planned because of the underpinning statistics and available data. The food value of the cereal I eat for breakfast is described on the carton using easily-understood statistical summaries, the cost of the electricity to run my coffee maker has been carefully calculated from pricing-models that are based on data collected on electricity use, the school my children will attend this morning has a pupil-teacher ratio calculated from data on enrolment numbers, the traffic lights stay red for a length of time calculated from data on traffic volumes, and so on. Data are there in so many decisions that affect my everyday life. World Statistics Day is a reminder about the importance and power of collecting quality data and using them appropriately. One example of where data has been used in a very informative way is the visual displays developed by Hans Rosling (from Sweden) with the free software, GapMinder (http://www.gapminder.org/). These simple but powerful statistical displays have had a big impact in understanding global change. Watch his remarkable public lectures on this website where Hans shows how simple summaries of averages can distort the impression that the poorer countries in the world are improving in their gross domestic product (GDP). On closer examination, tracking over the years the different income level-groups within these countries you can see that while the wealthier in society have got wealthier, the very poor have got poorer. This visual display of data is so informative and accessible no one can escape the message. It certainly is worth visiting the Gapminder website if you can – and do it today on World Statistics Day.
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On a more local scene, the 4 September earthquake has been described in depth in The Press. The newspaper has shown an excellent data display where each aftershock is portrayed as a vertical bar. Each 24-hour period is marked off along the horizontal axis. This graphic brought home to me how much time in each day we are being shaken around. The initial earthquake was just the beginning of what people in Canterbury are going through. No wonder we feel so tired – we get shaken up each night!
Let us celebrate World Statistics Day with reflecting on two great New Zealand achievements. New Zealand is a world leader in giving statistics a strong place in the school curriculum. For about 20 years, our curriculum has asked for students to do active work with data, through all the ages from new entrants to school leavers. The new curriculum in New Zealand (2007) is probably the first in the world to have a subject called ‘mathematics and statistics’. Other countries are impressed: they look to us for guidance. We’ve made this progress by having members of New Zealand’s Statistical Association working together with New Zealand’s very creative school mathematics educators. Together we are showing that statistics in schools can be active, enjoyable, visual, relevant to school and daily life and vitally important for good decision-making.
The other great New Zealand achievement is our internationally renowned research. One of New Zealand’s finest researchers is Professor David Vere-Jones, a world leader in many areas of statistical research including the study of earthquakes. Professor Vere-Jones, Emeritus Professor of Statistics at Victoria University of Wellington, is known throughout the world for his research leadership yet remains a very humble person. Despite his humility I was reminded of his greatness recently in discussion with a scientist based in USA who experienced a large earthquake in another country. He said he wouldn’t be alive today if it were not for Professor Vere-Jones’ work and our improved understanding of what damage an earthquake can do. Professor Vere-Jones also contributed largely to statistical education both here in New Zealand, and overseas.
Some of the events planned for this day in New Zealand include a Women in Statistics Conference, being held at Victoria University sponsored by Victoria University, Statistics New Zealand, Canterbury University, Auckland University, the New Zealand Statistical Association and the New Zealand Institute of Mathematics and its Applications.
Thank you to the statistics community for your good work and for your positive contribution to society.
Let’s finish with a quote from Hal Varian, the Chief Economist from Google, “...the dream job for the next decade is to be a statistician”.
ENDS
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