Straight up StatisticsObama’s Mortgage Solution: What’s In It For Me?By AUSTIN NELSON There is considerable controversy as to the wisdom of the new measures introduced by the Obama Administration to stabilize the housing market: Will they work? What does it even mean for something like this to work? While there are strong arguments on both sides, let’s look specifically at who Obama’s plan will [...] Straight up Statistics: How Random is Your Sample?By AUSTIN NELSON How many times have you read a statistic like this one: “57% of Americans believe that the economy will do X in the next Y years”? Ever wondered how in the heck they can say something like that? Do they poll every American and ask them what they think? The answer, of [...] Straight Up Statistics: Deconstructing the AverageBy AUSTIN NELSON In today’s fast paced, data-driven world, it’s easy to get lost in the morass of statistics flashing across our TVs and computer screens at a sometimes maddening pace. Government officials, bankers, retailers and snake oil salesmen alike throw out statistical arguments at the drop of a hat, telling you why their pitch [...] Straight Up Statistics: The Magic of Seasonal AdjustmentsBy AUSTIN NELSON Have you ever wondered what the heck it means when you read that economic data is “seasonally adjusted?” How can non-seasonally adjusted data show one trend while seasonally adjusted data shows something completely different? Which dataset is the most reliable? The in-depth answer to these questions requires a PhD in statistical analysis. [...] |