Trilobites and Us

摘要

I recently attended the IYS 2013 workshop, "The Future of Statistical Science." The themes were familiar: what an excellent job statisticians are doing in many areas; what great potential we have for continuing and expanding this good work; and, finally, we need to change our ways, and if we don't, others will get to this new good work before we do and we'll be consigned to the dust bin of history. The difference in 2013 is that the others are not computer scientists, machine learners, or data miners, but data scientists. Another difference is that some members of our profession think the threat is real this time and that perhaps the absorption of statistics into data science is the way we must go. First, the excellent job we're doing. That was illustrated in the fields of genomics, cancer biology, the study of diet, the environment and climate, in risk and regulation, neuroimaging, confidentiality and privacy, and autism research. The talks on these topics were given by duos: a subject-matter specialist and a statistician.