Posted inPhilosophy
Statistics’ dirtiest secret
The old saying that "You can prove anything using statistics" isn't true. It is a lie, and a damned lie, at that. It is an ugly, vicious, scurrilous distortion, undoubtedly…
Posted inStatistics
Do not calculate correlations after smoothing data
This subject comes up so often and in so many places, and so many people ask me about it, that I thought a short explanation would be appropriate. You may…
Posted inStatistics
How to look at the RSS satellite-derived temperature data
It's already well known that the Remote Sensing Systems satellite-derived temperature data has released the January figures: the finding is that it's colder this January than it has been for…
Posted inPhilosophy
What can we learn about global warming from poor reporting?
From today's Syndney Morning Herald comes the headline: "Global warming to impact health". First, by impact the reporter almost certainly means influence, a more accurate, but far less energetic and…
Posted inStatistics
Hurricanes have not increased: misuse of running means
Most statistics purporting to show that there has been an increase in hurricanes do not use the best statistical methods. I want to highlight one particular method that is often…