UFOs: how to calculate the odds that an alien spaceship has been spotted

One in a million or one in ten? Mathematics can help us work out the odds of whether recent sightings of UFOs are really alien spaceships.

Anders Sandberg, James Martin Research Fellow, Future of Humanity Institute & Oxford Martin School, University of Oxford • conversation
June 7, 2021 • ~7 min

578,555 people have died from COVID-19 in the US, or maybe it's 912,345 – here's why it's hard to count

Record-keepers have a pretty good sense of how many people have died. But figuring out the cause of those deaths is a lot trickier – and that's why reasonable modelers can disagree.

Ronald D. Fricker Jr., Professor of Statistics and Senior Associate Dean, Virginia Tech • conversation
May 24, 2021 • ~8 min

How to use statistics to prepare for the next pandemic

Many governments, including the US, already collect and make public population statistics that could help them prepare for the next pandemic.

R. Alexander Bentley, Professor of Anthropology, University of Tennessee • conversation
May 18, 2021 • ~6 min

What the Euro 2020 Panini sticker album can teach us about probability

We used probability to find out what collecting all 678 stickers might cost you.

Craig Anderson, Lecturer in Statistics, University of Glasgow • conversation
May 13, 2021 • ~7 min

Dunbar’s number: why my theory that humans can only maintain 150 friendships has withstood 30 years of scrutiny

The claim that our brain size limits us to 150 meaningful friendships has been challenged by a recent paper.

Robin Dunbar, Professor of Evolutionary Psychology, Department of Experimental Psycology, University of Oxford • conversation
May 12, 2021 • ~8 min

Dunbar’s number: has the claim that humans can only maintain 150 friendships withstood 30 years of scrutiny?

The claim that our brain size limits us to 150 meaningful friendships has been challenged by a recent paper.

Robin Dunbar, Professor of Evolutionary Psychology, Department of Experimental Psycology, University of Oxford • conversation
May 12, 2021 • ~8 min

How accurate were early expert predictions on COVID-19, and how did they compare to the public?

Who made more accurate predictions about the course of the COVID-19 pandemic – experts or the public? A study from the University of Cambridge has found that

Cambridge University News • cambridge
May 5, 2021 • ~6 min

Numbers can trip you up during the pandemic – here are 4 tips to help you figure out tricky stats

Understanding numbers in the news or social media can empower you to figure out risks and make good choices. Here's what to look out for to make sure you aren't misled by COVID-19 coverage.

Ellen Peters, Director, Center for Science Communication Research, University of Oregon • conversation
April 27, 2021 • ~9 min

YDS1-2021-4
ÖSYM • osym
April 18, 2021 • ~1 min

CDC stats on COVID-19 deaths obscure structural racism

The CDC controls for geography in its statistics about racial and ethnic disparities in COVID-19 deaths. Researchers say that's a problem.

Morgan Sherburne-Michigan • futurity
March 17, 2021 • ~7 min

/

8