Annotated Working Draft of Final Project and Hot Spots in Statistical Analysis

Component Assignments:

1. Communication and Persuasion in Statistical Analysis

   In a world where push polls are digested as often as big macs, statisticians provide a bridge between the data and the consumer. Although this role is essential, most people are turned away by the complex inner workings, causing stats to speak differently to outsiders than they do to each other.

2. Storytelling in Stats

   I attempted to use this post to demonstrate the powerful effect of wording to collect data. On the collection side of stats, something as simple as the syntax used to phrase a sentence can completely swing a large percentage of a sample.

3. History of Ripping People Off With Math
   This post focused a lot on the reasons and speeds certain fields of statistics and probabilities developed. I put a particular emphasis on how the evolution of stats was almost always caused by somebody trying to get an unfair advantage over another. 

4. Institutional Authority and Communication in Stats
   My most recent post explored the importance of technology in statistical communication. Having to rel on technology that is isn't intuitive to statisticians, many a man has been frustrated by fighting against clunky technology.
   
   Hotspots:
   
   1. Since stats are entirely dependent upon technology, those who can't use a computer will not survive very long in the field. At the same time, the technology often feels clunky and outdated. The frustrating part is that there are clearly better options available, and the old ones are there acting as barriers.
   
   
   2. Someone once said that if you want to tell a clever lie, use statistics. Misleading statistics are a common problem, and misinformation is an art that shows up everywhere from smoking and cancer to civil rights discussions. There is a need to keep the public educated toward general statistics and find a way to prevent small groups from manipulating data.