Increasingly, but especially over the past year, I've been amazed at how people have abandoned all hope of reaching answers on important issues. Whether it's wearing masks, getting vaccinated, understanding economics, or examining race relations, people are quick to say that it's 'fake news.' Others will fall back on being 'entitled to their opinion.'
Imagine if we trusted everything to this mindset. What if we let engineers build bridges and airplanes however they wanted, because they are entitled to their opinions? Would you drive over a bridge or fly in an airplane? What if we let doctors use whatever medicines and treatments they felt like, however they wanted. They don't need dosage recommendations, interaction guidance, or FDA approval. The FDA is all part of a conspiracy, anyway. The doctors are all entitled to their opinions.
It seems crazy, but it has somehow come to this. The public seems to have forgotten the scientific method, basic rules of research, and mathematical analysis. We have given up on the idea that there are right answers to problems and wrong answers. We've accepted the mentality, 'You can't mark my 2 + 2 = 5 answer wrong, because I'm entitled to my opinion.'
If there was any truth to those beliefs, we would never be able to advance. We wouldn't be able to build increasingly better computers. We wouldn't be able to come up with new and important medicines. The Theory of Relativity wouldn't exist. No cars. No electric power grid. All of these advances in science and society can happen, because we have methodologies for determining what's logically true and what is false.
The scientific method uses deductive reasoning to reach a logical, true conclusion. It follows a path from general theory to specific observation. At the end of the path, we are left with a true and logical statement we can accept with confidence.
Think Statistically is about using the scientific method and basic statistics to arrive at logically true conclusions. We take everyday examples from the headlines, walk through a statistical and scientific analysis using commonly available data from reputable sources, and derive conclusions. At the end, assuming our math and methodology are correct, we must accept the findings. The findings may or may not be what we expect, but, as good, clear thinking individuals, we accept them.
There are right answers to big problems. You don't need to be confused or misled by opinions, fake news, or political spin. You can find answers. We're here to help you do that.
