Stat Chat for Oct. 2009

Location: Room 205, Olin-Rice Science Center, Macalester College

6:00 - 6:30, Dinner
6:30 - 7:00, Journal club. Robert Gould, Variability: One Statistician's View (Stat. Educ. Res J. 3(2):7-16) Link to article.

Victor Addona

7:00 - 8:00, Main Event: George Cobb presentation. Drug Deals and Jury Wheels: Probability and Statistics Go to Court
Abstract: In the case of US v Shine et al., federal prosecutors in Burlington, Vermont wanted to send to jail a dozen accused drug dealers, all of them members of racial minorities. The defense team claimed that the citizens chosen to serve on the grand juries that had indicted the dozen accused dealers had been chosen using a jury selection method that was racially biased. If true, the legal rights of the accused under the US Constitution would have been violated, which would mean that they should be set free. The case involved a variety of issues, all statistical or mathematical, and so I was asked by the prosecutors to testify about these issues.
In my talk I'll describe one particularly simple mathematical problem that figured prominently in the case, and illustrate two different ways to think about it. For me, these two ways exemplify two very general strategies for solving mathematical problems.

PLEASE RSVP to Danny Kaplan so that we can plan sensibly for dinner. As always, last-minute deciders and guests are welcome.

Monday 19 and 26 October: 4:30-6:00. George Cobb seminars on experimental design. NEW LOCATION: Macalester College Olin-Rice Science Center Room 241 (near the usual Stat Chat room). B. Davis Lecture Hall (building 13 on this map). See the announcement here.
Friday 23 October: 1:30-3:00. George Cobb seminar: "Bayes, and the (post-data) Future of Our Curriculum: The Camel's Nose, the Tent, and Who's Inside, Who's Outside" Location: Room 325, Educational Sciences Building, University of Minnesota.
Abstract: This talk will have two parts: First, and concretely, I'll offer a trail of breadcrumbs that mark out an elementary path back home to Bayesian thinking, including a class activity. Second, and abstractly, I'll offer my best long view of where I think our curriculum is headed. In particular, I'll address my sense that our current happy curricular picnic has only begun to register the unwelcome skunk scent of the digital revolution.
Following the seminar, Stat Chatters will meet in Blarneys for libation and dinner.
Monday 26 October: 4:30-6:00. 2nd George Cobb seminar on experimental design. (See above.)
Tuesday 27 October: 1:30-2:00 CAUSEweb Activity Webinar with Danny Kaplan, Taking your class for a walk ... randomly. Link to more information about connecting to the webinar. (Note the webinar announcement gives the time in the Eastern time zone.)