Episode description

Hugo speaks with Allen Downey about uncertainty in data science. Allen is a professor of Computer Science at Olin College and the author of a series of free, open-source textbooks related to software and data science. Allen and Hugo speak about uncertainty in data science and how we, as humans, are not always good at thinking about uncertainty, which we need be to in such an uncertain world. Should we have been surprised at the outcome of the 2016 election? What approaches can we, as a data reporting community, take to communicate around uncertainty better in the future? From election forecasting to health and safety, thinking about uncertainty and using data & data-oriented tools to communicate around uncertainty are essential.

Links from the show

FROM THE INTERVIEW Data Science Data Optimism Allen's Twitter List of cognitive biases Why are we so surprised? (Allen's Blog) Probably Overthinking It (Allen Downey's Blog) Think Stats (Allen's Book) There is only one test! (Allen's Blog)

FROM THE SEGMENT

Statistical Distributions and their Stories (with Justin Bois at ~27:00)

Original music and sounds by The Sticks.