https://padlet.com/brianbirchler2/auhe27vmn5ir50mi Please add two separate posts (1) A specific passage from the text you found striking or have a question about. Include the page #, the passage, and a brief explanation. Use a purple sticky for this post (2) Make a short post summarizing your overall understanding and impression from this chapter. Use a yellow sticky for this post. You can change the post color AFTER you make the post by clicking on the ... (ellipses) that show up when you hover your cursor over the post. en-us 2020-09-01 02:53:38 UTC 2025-10-19 12:28:51 UTC hello@padlet.com brianbirchler2 https://padlet.com/brianbirchler2/auhe27vmn5ir50mi/wish/710662039 On Page # XX the passage "quote passage here" resonated with me...

.... yadda yadda yadda... (write about what you found striking or wonder about said passage).]]> 2020-09-01 02:53:38 UTC https://padlet.com/brianbirchler2/auhe27vmn5ir50mi/wish/710662039 brianbirchler2 https://padlet.com/brianbirchler2/auhe27vmn5ir50mi/wish/710662040 Here is what I took away from this chapter...]]> 2020-09-01 02:53:38 UTC https://padlet.com/brianbirchler2/auhe27vmn5ir50mi/wish/710662040 katieplavan https://padlet.com/brianbirchler2/auhe27vmn5ir50mi/wish/712749183 The passage, "What is the point? The point is not to do math, or to dazzle friends and colleagues with advanced statistical techniques. The point is to learn things that inform our lives" (13) resonated with me because it give insight into how involved statistics are in our daily lives, whether or not we are aware of it. It also signifies the importance of statistics, no matter what topic or when in our lives we use them. ]]> 2020-09-01 18:05:48 UTC https://padlet.com/brianbirchler2/auhe27vmn5ir50mi/wish/712749183 katieplavan https://padlet.com/brianbirchler2/auhe27vmn5ir50mi/wish/712765624 Big takeaways from this chapter for me were how statistics were simultaneously a very helpful tool in almost all aspects of our lives, and yet they can only provide a limited synopsis of a story. Additionally, while statistics can lead us to interesting and important conclusions, they cannot give us the exact, whole, "truth".

]]> 2020-09-01 18:09:49 UTC https://padlet.com/brianbirchler2/auhe27vmn5ir50mi/wish/712765624 cooperdavis6 https://padlet.com/brianbirchler2/auhe27vmn5ir50mi/wish/715388761 The passage, "It's a handy tool for collapsing complex information into a single number" (2) resonated with me due to its broad scale of usage. Being able to condense a human beings life work into a single number feels unethical, but also extremely helpful. The same way that it is easy to compare two kids with their GPA, but you do not get to see the broad picture. 

]]> 2020-09-02 16:19:59 UTC https://padlet.com/brianbirchler2/auhe27vmn5ir50mi/wish/715388761 cooperdavis6 https://padlet.com/brianbirchler2/auhe27vmn5ir50mi/wish/715514855 The major takeaway from this chapter was once again the idea that statistics can be extremely useful through condescending large data sets into one number, but with that comes a grey area of inaccuracy. By changing the value of a single number within a data set you adjust the overall value, inevitably you end up not telling the whole truth. This change of weight within a single number resonated with me because when this is applied to the distribution of taxes, medicare, medicare, peoples lives can be put at jeopardy. ]]> 2020-09-02 16:51:54 UTC https://padlet.com/brianbirchler2/auhe27vmn5ir50mi/wish/715514855 https://padlet.com/brianbirchler2/auhe27vmn5ir50mi/wish/716052303 On page 3, the passage "but it certainly gives us some valuable information on a socially significant phenomenon in a convenient format" resonated with me because Wheelan shows how applicable statistics is to seemingly unrelated fields. I think having concrete numbers to assign to something like wealth inequality (or other social justice issues) is especially helpful since it gives arguments more credibility than just anecdotal evidence.]]> 2020-09-02 19:20:40 UTC https://padlet.com/brianbirchler2/auhe27vmn5ir50mi/wish/716052303 https://padlet.com/brianbirchler2/auhe27vmn5ir50mi/wish/716067311 For me, the major takeaways from this passage were how helpful statistics can be, but they must be used with caution and/or critical thinking. The numbers need context; if you take a statistic at face value, there can be a lot of room for error. That being said, statistics can simplify complex issues down to make them more digestible/understandable, which makes it easier to approach solving these issues.]]> 2020-09-02 19:26:05 UTC https://padlet.com/brianbirchler2/auhe27vmn5ir50mi/wish/716067311 chiarakim https://padlet.com/brianbirchler2/auhe27vmn5ir50mi/wish/716127464 The main takeaway I understood from this chapter was that statistics is a strong tool for understanding and summarizing data that can help us comprehend and improve society, but it is not a perfect method. This chapter taught me that statistics are utilized constantly in everyday life, whether we are aware of it or not, through areas as diverse as GPAs,  political polling, and athlete statistics (such as a batting average). One of the major emphases of this chapter as well was that like all of these measurements, statistics in general is not perfect, but it offers helpful insights into important events in our lives. From all of the descriptions about concepts from assessing risk and probability events to description and comparison,  I realized how widely applicable and helpful statistics can be in understanding and helping our society. ]]> 2020-09-02 19:48:37 UTC https://padlet.com/brianbirchler2/auhe27vmn5ir50mi/wish/716127464 chiarakim https://padlet.com/brianbirchler2/auhe27vmn5ir50mi/wish/716167888 On page 6, this passage resonated with me: "overreliance on any descriptive statistic can lead to misleading conclusions or cause undesirable behavior... Descriptive statistics exist to simplify, which always implies some loss of nuance or detail. Anyone working with numbers needs to recognize as much." This struck me because it points to how statistics and other forms of math can often simplify something because the original is too complex to be summarized in a concise way. I also thought it was interesting that the author warns against over-relying on a descriptive statistic precisely because its purpose is to simplify. I think it's interesting that the author balances reminding readers to realize that statistics is not perfect while also highlighting the importance of it in describing data. ]]> 2020-09-02 20:04:12 UTC https://padlet.com/brianbirchler2/auhe27vmn5ir50mi/wish/716167888 audenbown https://padlet.com/brianbirchler2/auhe27vmn5ir50mi/wish/716794133 One passage that I found striking was on page 10, where Wheelan says: "We cannot treat humans like laboratory rates. As a result, statistics is a lot like good detective work. The data yields clues and patterns that can ultimately lead to meaningful conclusions." I liked this part because it seemed to emphasize how statistics can be used in the real world, which is more in hindsight. You can't control every aspect of a large group of people's lives over their entire life just to look at one single variable. Instead, you must use data about people's lives and deconstruct all the data to see cause and effect. ]]> 2020-09-03 02:29:30 UTC https://padlet.com/brianbirchler2/auhe27vmn5ir50mi/wish/716794133 audenbown https://padlet.com/brianbirchler2/auhe27vmn5ir50mi/wish/716813365 The main takeaways from this chapter are, like the title says, the "point" of statistics. The most important part is that statistics is different from other types of math in how it is used. Things like arithmetic or word problems only have one right answer, but due to statistics' focus on humans, there are so many ways to analyze data. The author points out how there are many different ways to analyze a data set, and some can even be lies. This stems from the fact that for the vast majority of problems we use statistics to solve, we are not using a double-blind placebo controlled study. Many of the things statistics focuses on are more to do with lifestyles and long-term patterns, where it is up to the statistician to determine what the cause for variance in a population is. Sometimes the right answer takes decades to find, but computers or artificial intelligence do not necessarily show us the answer faster. ]]> 2020-09-03 02:40:58 UTC https://padlet.com/brianbirchler2/auhe27vmn5ir50mi/wish/716813365 ellirevenaugh https://padlet.com/brianbirchler2/auhe27vmn5ir50mi/wish/716931393 2020-09-03 03:56:17 UTC https://padlet.com/brianbirchler2/auhe27vmn5ir50mi/wish/716931393 ellirevenaugh https://padlet.com/brianbirchler2/auhe27vmn5ir50mi/wish/716950124 The main takeaways of this chapter are that statistics are a really important tool to help us understand human behavior (and other things), but it also has a lot of limitations. We have to be critical thinkers when we are looking at data, and we have to keep in mind how they collected certain bits of information and what might have been wrong and what we think is right about the data collection. He talks about how statistics are really helpful in helping us understand huge issues through compacted sets of numbers, but again, we have limitations based on how big the data is and how the data was collected.

]]> 2020-09-03 04:09:22 UTC https://padlet.com/brianbirchler2/auhe27vmn5ir50mi/wish/716950124 jesuslamas21 https://padlet.com/brianbirchler2/auhe27vmn5ir50mi/wish/718111035 The main takeaway of Chapter 1 was that statistics is a powerful and important tool that helps us process data. Stats helps us understand data which can help us understand and refine our society. However, it may not have the best solution or method. Overall, the chapter talked about how frequently we use stats in our everyday life (sports, grades, politics).  Stats is not the perfect method, but it can provide us with detailed insights about our everyday life and hobbies. In conclusion, this chapter opened my view about how frequently and important stats is to my life. I use it for school, soccer, and it can help me help my community. ]]> 2020-09-03 14:44:21 UTC https://padlet.com/brianbirchler2/auhe27vmn5ir50mi/wish/718111035 https://padlet.com/brianbirchler2/auhe27vmn5ir50mi/wish/718173689 One passage that I found interesting was on page 6. The author explains that "one theme of this book will be that an over-reliance on any descriptive statistic can lead to misleading conclusions, or cause undesirable behavior...Descriptive statistics exist to simplify, which always implies some loss of nuance or detail." I thought this was interesting because it explains the main drawback of using statistics. Since statistics, by nature, simply larger data setts, it is important to consider what conclusions we actually can or cannot make. Also, it suggests how statistics can be manipulated and therefore, must be used very carefully.]]> 2020-09-03 15:00:10 UTC https://padlet.com/brianbirchler2/auhe27vmn5ir50mi/wish/718173689 jesuslamas21 https://padlet.com/brianbirchler2/auhe27vmn5ir50mi/wish/718218215 One passage that i found interesting and valuable was on pages 2-3, where  Wheelan states, "One number tells you that Jay Cutler was outgunned by Aaron Rodgers in the Bear's playoff loss. On the other hand, that number won't tell you whether a quarterback had a bad break" (p.2). This quote was interesting for me because I am a huge football fan and hearing this quote shows the pro's and con's in statistics in an athletic game such as football. Another quote I would short, but important was " What is the point? The point is that stats helps us process data" (p.3). This defination was short and sweet, but true and valuable. It demonstrates the basic principle of stats.]]> 2020-09-03 15:11:02 UTC https://padlet.com/brianbirchler2/auhe27vmn5ir50mi/wish/718218215 https://padlet.com/brianbirchler2/auhe27vmn5ir50mi/wish/718240798 The main takeaway that I understood form this chapter was the reason that we use statistics and why statistics is important. For example, we use statistics all the time in sports, in politics, or in school. However, it is important to acknowledge to drawbacks to statistics. While statistics is a very powerful and useful tool that helps us process/analyze data, we must know its limitations. We must consider what variables are at play in any given scenario, as well as the difference between causation and correlation.]]> 2020-09-03 15:16:28 UTC https://padlet.com/brianbirchler2/auhe27vmn5ir50mi/wish/718240798 https://padlet.com/brianbirchler2/auhe27vmn5ir50mi/wish/718408606 One thing I found especially interesting was on page 8 when Wheelan discusses how statistics can be used to catch cheaters. I guess I had always been aware that oftentimes tests are flagged for cheating, but I never understood how that happened. When he says  that the security organization will "flag exams at a school...on which the number of identical wrong answers is highly unlikely" or "a test taker does significantly better on harder questions than on easy questions" or exams "on which the number of wrong to right erasures is significantly higher than the number of right to wrong erasures" I found it especially clever. Clearly these situations are based on specific statistical concepts but it is an inte
resting concept that I had never considered before. ]]> 2020-09-03 15:55:50 UTC https://padlet.com/brianbirchler2/auhe27vmn5ir50mi/wish/718408606 https://padlet.com/brianbirchler2/auhe27vmn5ir50mi/wish/718490205 My main takeaway of this chapter was the importance of statistics in everyday life. Wheelan really emphasized that if statistics are used and described correctly they can be incredibly useful tools in everything from extremely important issues like homelessness to situations that aren't as significant like baseball games. ]]> 2020-09-03 16:14:32 UTC https://padlet.com/brianbirchler2/auhe27vmn5ir50mi/wish/718490205 https://padlet.com/brianbirchler2/auhe27vmn5ir50mi/wish/719134212 The main takeaway of the chapter was the purpose, use, and limitations of statistics. The first chapter explains that statistics are much more widely applicable than most people realize, with applications from football, to country's wealth distribution, to Netflix's algorithms. Statistics can be used to answer questions on the world, gain insight on otherwise abstract and hard to quantify subjects, and make decisions as objectively as possible. However, statistics are certainly not without flaws; with improper methods, they can be manipulated to misrepresent the world, and even in the best of circumstances, they can sometimes oversimplify issues. Ultimately, though, statistics are a very useful tool that aren't nearly as intimidating as people tend to think.]]> 2020-09-03 18:46:55 UTC https://padlet.com/brianbirchler2/auhe27vmn5ir50mi/wish/719134212 https://padlet.com/brianbirchler2/auhe27vmn5ir50mi/wish/719165267 One of the passages that struck me was that from the bottom of page three to the bottom of page four, which gives a glimpse of the uses statistics can have. Just seeing the variety and scope of uses of statistics was intriguing and exciting.]]> 2020-09-03 18:55:46 UTC https://padlet.com/brianbirchler2/auhe27vmn5ir50mi/wish/719165267 alexokawa https://padlet.com/brianbirchler2/auhe27vmn5ir50mi/wish/719357832 The thing that stuck with me from this chapter is the how stats can be seen in many things in our life. The intro shows how stats can be really interesting even if you aren't consciously thinking about stats as an academic field.]]> 2020-09-03 20:02:32 UTC https://padlet.com/brianbirchler2/auhe27vmn5ir50mi/wish/719357832 alexokawa https://padlet.com/brianbirchler2/auhe27vmn5ir50mi/wish/719363586 One passage that was interesting to me was when he gave the example of a quarterbacks passing rating and how it wasn't perfect. He gave many examples of how stats were't perfect and that they just gave interesting info that can be interpreted differently.]]> 2020-09-03 20:04:46 UTC https://padlet.com/brianbirchler2/auhe27vmn5ir50mi/wish/719363586