Truth or truthiness : distinguishing fact from fiction by learning to think like a data scientist /

Truth or truthiness : distinguishing fact from fiction by learning to think like a data scientist /

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Bibliographic Details
Author / Creator:	Wainer, Howard, author.
Imprint:	New York, NY : Cambridge University Press, 2016. ©2016
Description:	xviii, 210 pages ; 24 cm
Language:	English
Subject:	Critical thinking. Inference. Evidence. Belief and doubt. Belief and doubt. Critical thinking. Evidence. Inference.
Format:	Print Book
URL for this record:	http://pi.lib.uchicago.edu/1001/cat/bib/10505772

Hidden Bibliographic Details
ISBN:	9781107130579 1107130573
Notes:	Includes bibliographical references and index.
Summary:	"Teacher tenure is a problem. Teacher tenure is a solution. Fracking is safe. Fracking causes earthquakes. Our kids are over-tested. Our kids are not tested enough. We read claims like these in the newspaper, often with no justification other than "it feels right." How can we figure out what is right? Escaping from the clutches of truthiness begins with one question: "What's the evidence?" With his usual verve, and disdain for pious nonsense, Howard Wainer offers a refreshing fact-based view of complex problems in altitude of fields, with special emphasis showing in education how to evaluate the evidence, or lack thereof, supporting various kinds of claims. His primary tool is casual inference: how can we convincingly demonstrate the cause of an effect? This wise book is a must-read for anyone who's ever wanted to challenge the pronouncements of authority figures and a captivating narrative that entertains and educates at the same time. Howard Wainer is a Distinguished Research Scientist at the National Board of Medical Examiners. He has published more than 400 articles and chapters in scholarly journals and books. His book Defeating Deception: Escaping the Shackles of Truthiness by Learning to Think like a Data Scientist, will be published by Cambridge University Press in 2016"--

Description
Summary:	Teacher tenure is a problem. Teacher tenure is a solution. Fracking is safe. Fracking causes earthquakes. Our kids are over-tested. Our kids are not tested enough. We read claims like these in the newspaper every day, often with no justification other than 'it feels right'. How can we figure out what is right? Escaping from the clutches of truthiness begins with one simple question: 'what is the evidence?' With his usual verve and flair, Howard Wainer shows how the sceptical mindset of a data scientist can expose truthiness, nonsense, and outright deception. Using the tools of causal inference he evaluates the evidence, or lack thereof, supporting claims in many fields, with special emphasis in education. This wise book is a must-read for anyone who has ever wanted to challenge the pronouncements of authority figures and a lucid and captivating narrative that entertains and educates at the same time.
Physical Description:	xviii, 210 pages ; 24 cm
Bibliography:	Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN:	9781107130579 1107130573