This Slate article shows how the medical profession lies with statistics by using qualifiers that virtually no one understands, like “relative risk.” How big of a difference is it? Read to find out.
I also like eMarketer Daily‘s usual habit of overinterpreting differences. I still remember nearly a year ago they published a report on how different ethnicities use cell phone technologies differently. The “findings” talked about how 28% one group (African Americans or Hispanics, I forget which) used text messaging or the Internet on their cell phones as if it were a big difference from the second group, wherein “only” 26% did. There was no mention of the margin of error for the study.
I especially liked eMarketer Daily’s report a few months later that ClickZ lies with statistics. As I e-mailed to a coworker, that’s really the pot calling the kettle black.
Don’t worry, I promise to post about Hayden later today. I know it’s what you really want to see. AND I promise to post about the quest for the I<3L&O mug tomorrow.