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Abstract:
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The liberal use of quotes, anecdotes and illustrations from the history of statistics can serve to enhance statistical presentation, particularly when the expertise of the audience is not mathematical. Such materials can help set the stage when introducing a new topic, and leaven the lecture material - providing a breather after particularly intense exposition or otherwise assisting with pacing of the presentation. They can make the course material more approachable, and place it in context, emphasizing the relevance of the material to the research area to which it will be applied. And while such vignettes can inspire and motivate, they can also serve as cautionary tales - an important function in its own right! Well-chosen stories serve to connect statistical inquiry to the greater scientific endeavor - and may even humanize the practitioners - or the lecturer! This presentation will provide examples illustrating all of these functions, as well as resources for instructors. We will draw from the lives of a wide range of statisticians, but also consider a gambler, a brewery employee, a Faustian bargain, an African explorer, the Lady with the Lamp, and a lady drinking tea.
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