Perhaps the most misunderstood single word from the world of Statistics is significant. It is a leading example of using simple words for complicated ideas. The problem is the English language. Outside Statistics, significant means important. A “significant event” is one that changed history; a “significant other” is an important person in one’s life; a “significant number” can refer to a large amount. Inside Statistics, significant means real; that’s something entirely different.

All models are wrong, but some are useful. George E. P. Box

A statistical model is one of the central ideas in statistics, data science, medicine, psychology, economics, machine learning, and many other fields. But what is meant by “model”? 

“Data” is one of those words we use constantly, often without pausing to ask what it actually means.

The distinction between classical statistical methods and modern computer-intensive approaches such as machine learning is often presented as a clash of eras….

I am often asked, “What does a consulting statistician do?” My answer is the same now as it was decades ago when I began that work, “Whatever the client needs.”