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There is now a CONTENT FREEZE for Mercury while we switch to a new platform. It began on Friday, March 10 at 6pm and will end on Wednesday, March 15 at noon. No new content can be created during this time, but all material in the system as of the beginning of the freeze will be migrated to the new platform, including users and groups. Functionally the new site is identical to the old one. webteam@gatech.edu
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TITLE: Statisticians at Work: Inspiration, Aspiration, Ambition
SPEAKER: C.F. Jeff Wu
ABSTRACT:
A key measure of the maturity and quality of a scientific community is how it judges and values accomplishments and (or versus) scholarship. To address this question, I will describe the motivation or drive for accomplishments and/or scholarship at three levels: inspiration, aspiration, ambition. They represent different (but not necessarily exclusive) mindsets or modi operandi. I will use several prominent examples in statistics history to explain or illustrate the acts of inspiration, aspiration, and ambition. They include: Pearson’s arguments with Fisher and with Yule, some breakthrough work of Fisher, Neyman, Tukey, Box, Efron, and the more humbling experience of my work in experimental design. Then I will share some thoughts on what are good or bad mathematical statistics work. Finally, I will give some advice (three dos, three don’ts) to young researchers. Throughout this talk, I will use the “lens” of inspiration, aspiration, and ambition in making my examinations, remarks and suggestions.
