New Zealand Statistical Association Newsletter 67
March 2008
Statistics and Applied Probability: A Tribute to Jeffrey J. Hunter
Prof
Jeff Hunter has been honoured, on his retirement from Massey University,
with a special issue of the Journal of Applied Mathematics and Decision
Sciences. This special issue acknowledges Jeff’s
many contributions to probability and statistics over a long career of
40-plus years, and is available online
from the journal website.
Florence
Nightingale - A New Zealand Connection
The recent exhibition “Real Gold: Treasures of the Auckland City
Library” at the Auckland Central City Library contained an item
of interest to statisticians. Items for the exhibition were selected from
the many rare, valuable and wonderful “treasures” cared for
by the Special Collections team at Auckland City Libraries. The collections
contain thousands of items and are based on a gift by Sir George Grey
to the newly founded Auckland library in 1887.
One exhibit on display was a letter to Sir George Gray, 28 July 1863 which
ended:
“You will do a noble work in New Zealand. But pray think of
your statistics. I need not say, think of your Schools. But people often
despise statistics as not leading to immediate good.
Believe me
Yours ever Sincerely
Florence Nightingale”
Further details here.
The new lecturer in Statistics at the University of Otago, Chris Fonnesbeck, has been working for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission designing a new manatee survey that recognises issues with detection probability being less than one (at 'least most of the time'). Manatees are a hot topic in Florida for a variety of reasons, hence the cartoon.
Source: Florida
Today.