More ‘Hands-on’ materials to inspire students with statistics

The RSS has launched four new activities designed to engage with students and young people at careers fairs, at festivals and in schools. The new ‘Hands-on’ resources consist of short, practical activities for face-to-face interactions, which can be extended for use in school workshops.

The ‘Hands-on’ activities, available to download at rss.org.uk/hands-on, were launched at the RSS Conference 2018, a year after the first four were launched at the 2017 Conference.

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RSS Conference session: Does Britain still back Brexit?

Has Britain changed its mind about Brexit? That was the question explored by John Curtice, probably the UK’s most famous pollster, during his keynote presentation on the final day of RSS Conference.

The talk followed days of media coverage of a report Curtice had overseen for NatCen Social Research, which suggested that were a second referendum to be held now, 59% would support Britain remaining in the European Union, up from 48% who voted remain in 2016.

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RSS responds to consultation regarding new data ethics centre

On behalf of members, the RSS has responded to a government consultation into the role and remit of the proposed new Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation (CDEI).

The new CDEI was confirmed by the chancellor at the 2017 Autumn Budget to oversee the future development of algorithms and the ‘decisions’ they make, while maintaining public trust. Roger Taylor, the co-founder of Dr Foster and current chair of Ofqual, was announced as chair in June 2018; following that the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) invited ‘all those who have an interest and stake in the way data use and AI are governed and regulated’ to submit their views to this consultation.

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RSS Conference: Fraser Nelson on why fake stats have such virality

Spectator editor Fraser Nelson has ‘always been fascinated by the way statistics shape public debate’. But like many today, he is worried by the ease with which fake facts are pedalled to, and accepted by, the masses.

In an address to RSS Conference on Thursday, he despaired at how misinterpretations and falsehoods gain rapid virality – especially those that the present the world, our society or a particular issue in an unfairly negative light.

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Conference 2018 session: Lets talk about stats

While pretty much everyone attending the Royal Statistical Society conference can agree that statistics are very important and interesting, how do we convince everyone else of that fact?

Many in the science community devote a significant amount of their time engaging with children and young people to show them how statistics and data analysis techniques can lead to greater insights about the world around them, and three of those people spoke in the RSS conference session on ‘Showcasing statistics through outreach and public engagement’.

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Conference 2018: Hannah Fry on being human in the age of machines

For decades, human activities and decisions have been supported by algorithms. They are the hidden rules and instructions that help our computers to process data and run complex calculations. But in recent years, algorithms have moved from a supporting to a starring role. As our machines have become more powerful, the algorithms have become more sophisticated – so much so that they are now in control of potentially life-changing decisions.

This is the setup for Dr Hannah Fry’s latest book, Hello World. The UCL mathematician, who once explored the ‘mathematics of love’, has grown fascinated with the relationships between humans and algorithms, the responsibilities we give them, and the impact they are having on our societies – whether good, bad, or ugly.

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Conference 2018 session: Filling and exploring gender data gaps

Embedded within the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a host of gender-relevant indicators relating to issues such as education, work and employment, and peace and justice. But the data needed to inform these indicators is often incomplete, and sometimes missing entirely, says Deirdre Appel, a research associate with Open Data Watch (ODW).

SDG 5 relates specifically to gender equality, but speaking at the RSS Conference on Tuesday morning, Appel identified more than 50 separate indicators across the gamut of SDGs that call for evaluation of the different experiences of men and women.

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