Turkeys, Travel and Other Thanksgiving Myths
My print column this week considers oft-reported claims that Thanksgiving spurs the consumption of 46 million turkeys and the busiest travel period of the year. Both claims appear to be contradicted by government data. As part of a recent campaign advocating for a meat-free Thanksgiving, a People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals p

How Many American Men Will Be Arrested in Their Lifetimes?
My print column this week examines a surprising statistic: Over their lifetimes, American men have a 52% chance of being arrested. Though the estimate originated in 1965 crime data, which were incomplete, subsequent inquiries have come up with consistent findings. All the studies enco

If Statisticians Could Turn Back Time
My print column this week follows statistical time machines as they connect past and present in politics, science and sports. These can answer what-if questions, such as how today’s Supreme Court justices would have voted on past cases were they encountering them fresh, or

Cracking the Code Math for a Veto Message
My print column this week analyzes the math behind a coded message in a veto by California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. The governor said it was a “total coincidence” that the first letter of each line in his veto message spelled out a common obscenity. Mathematicians who crunched the numbers say the expression was highly unlikely to eme

When Numbers Add Up to More Than Math
My print column this week examines attitudes towards numbers that go beyond mathematics. Preferences for certain numbers over others have affected the floor numbering in a high-profile Hong Kong development. This is akin to the widespread skipping of the 13th floor in buildings in the U.S. and elsewhere around the world (including the apartment building I lived in while I was growing up).