Statistics, and How the World Works
A surprising number of people seem to believe that the "improbability" that Biden could have won (in a fair election) is evidence that he didn't win (in a fair election). It isn't.
Statistics
Prominent Researchers Say a Widely Cited Study on Wearing Masks Is Badly Flawed
"Masks matter. So does good science. Let's do both."
Critics Say a Pair of California Antibody Studies Contain Critical Statistical Errors That Produced Implausible Results
Too many false positives, nonrandom study population, and infection fatality rates out of whack with other data, critics claim.
No, Russian Bots Didn't Cause Trump's Poll Numbers To Increase 1 Percent Per 25K Retweets
Blaming Trump's election on the magical power of Russian Twitter bots is seductive because it excuses Americans for electing an obviously unqualified candidate.
How To Crush 'the Tyranny of Metrics'
Historian Jerry Z. Muller says we waste too much time fixating on measurements that lead us astray.
Foggy Sex Trafficking Stats Pop Up in the Bay Area
Did San Francisco really see a 170 percent "spike in human trafficking" last year?
Stop Letting People Lie to You About Hate Crime and Human Trafficking Spikes
Government statistics often show more reports of both. That doesn't mean either is on the rise.
Are American Workers Getting Shafted?
Think labor's share of America's economic output has been plunging? Think again.
No, There Haven't Been 18 School Shootings This Year
It trivializes a brutal crime to inflate the count this way. Cut it out.
15 Times Major Media Outlets Used a Statistic about Plastic Straws Based on Research by a 9-Year-Old
A number's popularity does not prove its accuracy.
Is That Poll That Found College Students Don't Value Free Speech Really 'Junk Science'? Not So Fast
Or how writing about survey methodology can go wrong fast
Human-Trafficking Arrests Are Very Rare in Most States
The exceptions in 2016 were Minnesota and Texas, according to newly released FBI data.
No Rise in Hate-Crime Rate Since 2004
"Hate crimes" suspected to be motivated by racial bias have dropped, but those perceived to be motivated by gender bias nearly doubled.
Do Libertarian Voters Actually Exist? Yes, and in Droves [Reason Podcast]
Cato's polling director Emily Ekins says as many as one in five voters can be identified as libertarian.
Politicians Choosing Their Voters vs. Voters Choosing Their Politicians
The Supreme Court to decide if gerrymandering is unconstitutional
Suspect Statistics From Plastic Surgeon Society Say 'Gender Confirmation Surgeries' Up 19 Percent Last Year
There were 3,256 such surgeries in 2016, says the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. But how it got this number is anyone's guess.
Enough Stranger Danger! Children Rarely Abducted by Those They Don't Know
U.S. kids are no more likely to be abducted today than they were decades ago, and much more likely to be returned safely when they are.
Eat More Peppers, Live Longer; Eat More Grilled Meat, Die Sooner
Exploring the absurdities of modern nutritional epidemiology.
Sex-Trafficking Stat Check: How 45 Toledo Teens Become '1,000 Child Sex-Trafficking Victims'
Officials claim that more than 1,000 Ohio children are "trafficked into the sex trade each year." Here's why they're wrong.
Their Science Is Not Broken, Assert Psychologists
Contradicts claims that only 40 percent of studies could be replicated.
Good News, Americans! Cars Are Now Killing as Few People as Guns!
The numbers don't justify the outrage and fear.
The New York Times Says Working in Nail Salons Causes Cancer and Miscarriages. The Evidence Says Otherwise. (Part 3)
The final in a three-part series on how Sarah Maslin Nir's investigative series violated the standards of responsible journalism.
Epidemiology Makes Astrology Look Respectable
Sitting all day will kill you. Well, maybe not.