Stats + Stories

The Stats + Stories Team
  • 4.6 (37)
  • EDUCATION
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

Statistics need Stories to give them meaning. Stories need Statistics to give them credibility. Every Thursday John Bailer & Rosemary Pennington get together with a new, interesting guest to bring you the Statistics behind the Stories and the Stories behind the Statistics.

  1. Tracking Health Over Time | Stats + Stories Episode 85 (REPOST)

    4D AGO

    Tracking Health Over Time | Stats + Stories Episode 85 (REPOST)

    Dr. Lloyd Edwards is Professor and Chair of Biostatistics at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Dr. Edwards has an extensive background in collaborating with researchers in a broad range of areas in biomedical research, including cardiovascular disease, cystic fibrosis, cancer, aging, pediatrics, and minority health. His primary area of applied statistical research relates to the analysis of longitudinal data. Specifically, his statistical research includes derivation of techniques for computation of power, control of Type I error, and measuring model fit in linear and generalized linear mixed models.

    27 min
  2. The Classic “Will They, or Won’t They?” and the Kiss Effect | Stats + Stories Episode 381

    FEB 12

    The Classic “Will They, or Won’t They?” and the Kiss Effect | Stats + Stories Episode 381

    Television is filled with "will they or won't they" couples. Friends had Ross and Rachel. Parks and Rec had Leslie and Ben. The Gilmore Girls, had Lorelei and Luke. But what happens after the couple's kiss? Do we keep watching? One statistician dug into the data behind the kiss effect, and that's the focus of this episode of Stats and Stories with guest Ashley Mullan.  Ashley Mullan is a PhD student and research assistant in Vanderbilt University's Department of biostatistics. Currently, Mullan works on a team focusing on the care children receive in Tennessee's child welfare and juvenile justice systems. She's also interested in pop culture, and in her spare time, analyzes her own consumption of popular media. That led Mullan to author a Significance article on The Kiss Effect, the impact of a "will they won't they?" couple's first kiss on a TV show's ratings.

    23 min
  3. Protecting Seaside Cities from Possible Future Impacts of Climate Change | Stats + Stories Episode 53 (REPOST)

    JAN 29

    Protecting Seaside Cities from Possible Future Impacts of Climate Change | Stats + Stories Episode 53 (REPOST)

    Peter Guttorp (@pgseattle) is a Professor at the Norwegian Computing Center in Oslo, Norway, and Professor Emeritus at the University of Washington, Seattle. He is also a vice-president of the International Statistical Institute . His research focuses on stochastic models of scientific data and their statistical analysis. He has worked in seismology, hydrology, climatology, hematology and biology.

    26 min
  4. Counting Costs of Conflict | Stats + Stories Episode 380

    JAN 22

    Counting Costs of Conflict | Stats + Stories Episode 380

    When it comes to studying conflict, there is obvious data to examine: spending on arms, the number of people killed or injured, and the amount of land won or lost. What's harder to track are the indirect effects of conflict, the ways it produces deaths over time, or its impacts on public health. Researchers are trying to find ways to account for the sometimes less obvious impacts of conflict, and that's the focus of this episode of Stats and Stories with guest Xiao Hui Tai. Xiao Hui Tai is an assistant professor of statistics at the University of California Davis' Department of Statistics. Her research interests include the use of non-traditional data sources to study problems in data-scarce settings. With the current focus on global public health and estimating the consequences of violent conflict, she's the author of the Significance article Counting the True Cost of War.

    25 min
  5. Health Benefits of Riding an Electric Bike | Stats + Short Stories Episode 319 (REPOST)

    JAN 15

    Health Benefits of Riding an Electric Bike | Stats + Short Stories Episode 319 (REPOST)

    Hybrid cars are everywhere now but what is your best option if you want to feel the wind in your hair, or at least under your helmet and you want to get a little exercise as well? Well, e-bikes are an answer and that’s the topic on this episode of Stats + Short Stories with guest Helaine Alessio. Helaine Alessio, PhD, FACSM is a Professor and Chair of the Department of Kinesiology, Nutrition, and Health at Miami University and is a past President of the MWACSM and a fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine. She teaches Exercise Science-related courses and has received university commendations for her teaching. She has been funded by NIH, private foundations, and corporations to support research, teaching, and service projects. She has published 2 books, 13 book chapters, and 56 journal articles, as well as national and international peer reviewed blogs, infographics, and NPR broadcasts. She is listed in the top 2% of Exercise Scientists cited in the world by Stanford University researchers. Her work on academic integrity includes co-editing a special edition of a journal on the topic that was the most widely published for the Journal of Excellence in College Teaching.

    11 min
  6. Hit Songs by the Numbers & What They Reveal About Us | Stats + Stories Episode 379

    JAN 8

    Hit Songs by the Numbers & What They Reveal About Us | Stats + Stories Episode 379

    The Billboard Hot 100 has been ranking the week's most popular music since 1958. The first song to top the chart was Ricky Nelson's Poor Little Fool. The most recent song to do so is Taylor Swift's The Fate of Ophelia. A lot has changed in the music industry between those two songs, not only in the types of songs that top the charts, but also in how they're promoted and how they're determined. A new book explores the statistics behind the Hot 100, and it's the focus of this episode of Stats + Stories with guest Chris Dalla Riva. Chris Dalla Riva is an analyst for the music streaming service Audiomack by day while spending his nights writing and recording music and writing about music for his newsletter Can’t Get Much Higher.

    31 min
  7. Data for Good | Stats + Stories Episode 378

    12/24/2025

    Data for Good | Stats + Stories Episode 378

    On the podcast, we talk about the ways we live in and with data, as well as the ways data shape our lives and our politics. Public discourse around data is often wrapped up in the negative ways it can impact our lives. A movement among statisticians, data scientists, and other researchers shows the positive impacts of data when used to work towards solutions to humanitarian problems. The data for good movement is a focus of this episode of Stats and Stories with guest David Corliss. David Corliss is the founder and director of Peace Work, a volunteer cooperative of statisticians and data scientists applying statistical methods to issue-driven advocacy. Human trafficking research is a major initiative at Peace Work. Corliss is also a research scholar and a member of the Global Association of Human Trafficking Scholars.

    30 min
  8. Just In Time For The Holiday Shopping Season - A Story About Online Marketing | Stats + Stories Episode 47 (REPOST)

    12/18/2025

    Just In Time For The Holiday Shopping Season - A Story About Online Marketing | Stats + Stories Episode 47 (REPOST)

    Glenn Platt (@glennplatt) is the C. Michael Armstrong Professor of Network Technology & Management & Director of Interactive Media Studies at Miami University. He is interested in social media marketing, digital media and e-Commerc. He is also the faculty sponsor of the Esports team at Miami.

    30 min
See All (427)

4.6
out of 5
37 Ratings

About

Statistics need Stories to give them meaning. Stories need Statistics to give them credibility. Every Thursday John Bailer & Rosemary Pennington get together with a new, interesting guest to bring you the Statistics behind the Stories and the Stories behind the Statistics.

Information

  • Creator
    The Stats + Stories Team
  • Years Active
    2014 - 2026
  • Episodes
    427
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © All rights reserved
  • Show Website
    Stats + Stories

You Might Also Like