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 "terrence o'neill" <troneill@charter.net>
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From: Lorn H Olsen <lorn@dynacomm.ws>
Subject: Statistics
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The MAA in my title stands for "Master of Actuarial Arts". As an  
aside, I have a pretty thorough understanding on both probability and  
statistics. I taught both on a college level.

I always find it interesting when anyone without a statistics degree  
interprets statistics or evaluates another persons interpretation of  
the same numbers. Many of these interpretations are quite helpful but  
all have to be considered with caution.

The first question that I like to ask someone claiming to understand  
or interpret statistics is: "What is a statistic?". Many people think  
that statistics are numbers but what exactly is the mathematical  
definition of a statistic. You won't find it in the dictionary. How  
can we talk about something without even the most basic definition of  
what it is?

Stay tuned, if interested, for the definition in an upcoming issue of  
the LML.

> From: Brent Regan <brent@regandesigns.com>
>
>> Terrence writes:
>> <<Have you researched accident data (like I did) and found that  
>> the airlines report safety in terms of passenger miles?  Is a 747  
>> with 500 passengers 500 times safer than one with just crew?  And  
>> since that's obviously a lying statistic,  >>
>
> Don't you just love statistics. Of the "lower" branches of  
> mathematics it is one of the least understood, and consequently,  
> most abused.
> .
> .
> .
> Remember, with statistics two plus two can be any number you want  
> it to be, depending on how you define the conditions.
>
> Regards
> Brent Regan
>
--
Lorn H. 'Feathers' Olsen, MAA, DynaComm, Corp.
248-345-0500, mailto:lorn@dynacomm.ws
LNC2, O-320-D1F, 1,200 hrs, N31161, Y47, SE Michigan