Statistics, sea monsters and the assassination of Abraham Lincoln

Speaker: Charles Paxton (CREEM)

Abstract

This seminar will explore if statistics can be used to analyse topics on the fringes of science/in the historical record? Can the plural of “anecdote” actually be “data”? I will debate statistical approaches to three different problems: species discovery curves, reports of seemingly unknown species of large marine animals since the 18th century  and the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.This is very much a talk about work in progress and work about to begin. Ifs, buts and caveats will all be debated. Audience participation is encouraged.