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Chicago Chapter of the American Statistical Association Newsletter, November 2014
In This Issue

Welcome to the November Parameter! Many thanks to everyone who joined us for last month's Statistician of the Year event with Andrew Gelman, the event was so popular it was a sold out crowd. In the spirit of the evening, Borko gave a very memorable introduction, and Dr. Gelman was joined by his fabulous wife, Caroline. The dinner was excellent and the wine was even better. We hope you enjoyed the statistical festivities, and hope to see you all again next year!



Continue reading for more about Elias Bruegmann's November luncheon topic, Humans, what are they good for? about the rise of algorithms, and for a sneak peek at Stephen M. Sitgler's December luncheon topic, The Seven Pillars of Statistical Wisdom, a taxonomy of non-traditional categories for statistical ideas.
November Luncheon
Next Tuesday
November 18th, 2014
12 - 1:30 PM

Humans, what are they good for?
Elias Bruegmann
Managing Director at TGG Group
East Bank Club

500 N. Kingsbury
Chicago, IL 60610

Sponsored by the Chicago Chapter of the American Statistical Association

http://www.chicagoasa.org/

Click Here to Register for the November Luncheon

Be sure to register for the luncheon today as the past two luncheons have sold out!

Abstract:

For some routine business decisions, human judgment and decision making have been fully replaced by algorithms. While the models and techniques needed to make this possible are complex, they are increasingly well understood. More difficult issues arise when algorithms must be designed to complement human judgment.

For example, how can algorithms be used to aid attorneys in their decisions about what strategy to pursue in a particular litigation? Understanding when and how to combine human judgment and algorithms requires an understanding of both how humans think and the capabilities of algorithms. Mr. Bruegmann will talk about lessons TGG has learned from working with clients to develop better processes for complex business decisions.

Bio:
Elias Bruegmann is a Managing Director at TGG Group. TGG is a unique firm that brings together some of the world's leading academics and business executives. TGG helps its clients by applying economics and behavioral science to tough business challenges. It specializes in finding causal insights in data and improving business decisions and customer interactions through improved choice architecture.
Supporting TGG partners like Steve Levitt, author of Freakonomics, and Nobel prize winner Daniel Kahneman, Mr. Bruegmann has led consulting engagements in an array of industries including finance, insurance, commodities, and manufacturing. Prior to joining TGG, he worked at Cornerstone Research where he performed market analysis for large antitrust and intellectual property cases. Mr. Bruegmann holds a Ph.D. in Economics from Harvard University and a B.A. in Economics from The University of Chicago.
Mark Your Calendars
December Luncheon
The Seven Pillars
of Statistical Wisdom
Stephen M. Stigler

December 16th 2014
12pm-1:30pm
East Bank Club
500 N Kingsbury
Chicago, IL 60610

Click here to register for the December luncheon!


In a 1942 essay Jorge Luis Borges gave an unusual taxonomy for the kinds of animals that exist. In this talk, Dr. Stigler will present a taxonomy of statistical ideas based upon historical considerations that also differs from traditional categories.

Stephen M. Stigler received his PhD from the University of California, Berkeley, and initially taught at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, moving to the University of Chicago in 1979. He has published a large number of research papers and two books, The History of Statistics (1986) and Statistics on the Table (1999), and was chosen as Outstanding Statistician of the Year by the Chicago Chapter of the ASA in 1993.


The Lucille Derrick Fund
As with every year, the Lucille Derrick Fund sponsors a portion of the ticket prices for students attending CCASA events.

The CCASA would like to thank all of our donors for their support. Our success in reaching student statisticians is thanks in part to your willingness to donate and bequeath donations.


New App PhotoMath
Solves Math Equations Instantly
Perhaps to the chagrin of math teachers everywhere, a new smartphone app has launched which can not only solve problems instantly simply by pointing a smartphone camera at a book, but also show all the work steps required from equation to solution.
Unsurprisingly, the app was downloaded over 2 million times in the first 24 hours it was available. But will this hinder America's progress in math education? Or will it be a helpful learning tool and aid students if they get stuck on their homework?

One thing is for certain, although it only solves through 10th grade math right now, the rest can't be far behind!
The Innovators:
How a Group of Hackers, Geniuses, and Geeks Created the
Digital Revolution
In Walter Isaacson's latest book, he tells the story of the Digital Revolution, reminding us along the way that although biographies may favor the story of the lone genius creating a vision of the future (such as Steve Jobs, on whom Isaacson previously wrote a biography), history is often truly made when teams come together to realize the vision.

Organized into chapters (that delve into computing, programming, the microchip, the internet, and more), Isaacson mentions many individuals who made significant contributions, and emphasizes the energizing power of collaboration, such as AT&T's Bell Labs after WWII.

The Innovators is currently on the New York Times bestsellers list, and The Wall Street Journal has written a more complete review if you're interested to hear more!
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