NPR

Statisticians' Call To Arms: Reject Significance And Embrace Uncertainty!

Scientists and statisticians are putting forth a bold idea: ban the very concept of "statistical significance." A bit more humility would be in order to account for the ambiguity in the world.
Statisticians say it may not be wise to put all their eggs in the significance basket.

A recent study that questioned the healthfulness of eggs raised a perpetual question: Why do studies, as has been the case with health research involving eggs, so often flip-flop from one answer to another?

The truth isn't changing all the time. But one reason for the fluctuations is that scientists have a hard time handling the uncertainty that's inherent in all studies. There's a new push to address this shortcoming in a widely used – and abused – scientific method.

Scientists and statisticians are putting forth a bold idea: Ban the very concept of "statistical significance."

We hear that phrase all

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