Learning From the Experiences of Others

Abstract

Familiar statistical estimates such as batting averages, political polls, and medical trial results are obtained by direct observation of cases of interest. Sometimes, though, we can learn from the experience of "others": for instance there may be information about Player A's batting ability in the observed averages of Players B,C,D, etc. In his presentation, Professor Efron will present several examples showing how this works in practice, indicating some of the surprising theoretical ideas involved. The talk is mainly descriptive in nature, and is intended for a general scientific audience.