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Giving numbers meaning
Our favourite communicator of risk talks about the statistics of COVID-19, the quality of government briefings, and how to counter misinformation.
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Understanding uncertainty
What's the risk of passive smoking? Or climate change? How big is the terrorist threat? And should we trust league tables? These issues concern all of us, but it's not always easy to make sense of the barrage of media information. David Spiegelhalter, Winton Professor for the Public Understanding of…
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Understanding uncertainty: A 113% chance of death?
A recent study from Harvard reported that eating red meat is associated with a 13% increased risk of death. But what does this mean? Surely our risk of death is already 100%, and a risk of 113% does not seem very sensible? To really interpret this number we need to use some maths.
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Understanding uncertainty: Breast screening, a statistical controversy
One in nine women will get breast cancer in her lifetime, and it seems sensible to screen women for breast cancer to treat them as early as possible. But, as David Spiegelhalter explains, screening is a controversial issue.
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Understanding uncertainty: How long will you live?
Well, no-one knows exactly, but using stats you can make a good guess. This article tells you how and has an interactive life expectancy calculator. Do you dare to find out?
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What can birds tell us about flying through ash clouds?
Why does a financial mathematician think about birds when trying to understand the grounding of aeroplanes after the Icelandic volcano eruption?
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Social distancing: How close is safe?
How far can virus-carrying droplets fly in different environments — from buses to supermarkets? Maths can provide some answers.
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Are the vaccines safe?
Yes the approved vaccines are safe. If you balance the risks, then taking the vaccine is much safer than taking your chances with COVID-19.
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23 and maths
The company 23andMe made headlines by launching its DNA testing service in the UK. But how are the risks of developing a disease calculated?
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David Spiegelhalter's favourite people of science
David Spiegelhalter, one of our favourite experts on statistics, recently joined David Attenborough, Bill Bryson and other eminent contributors on the Royal Society's People of Science series. You can watch the video here.