This course will attempt to answer the question “What is valid data — and how do you know?” By looking at real life data sets, we will work on reading, assessing, and producing statistics as they relate to different fields. We will work to locate the source data, understand statistical language, and look at how the visual representation of data can change how we perceive facts. Our goal will be to bring in statistics from other courses and create a catalog of examples that best highlight the uses, misuses, and abuses of Statistics in the world around us.

Being able to relate statistics across multiple disciplines will be a requirement. This is a basic mathematics course and has no prerequisites and will be accessible to all interested and willing students.