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Science

NNadir

(36,633 posts)

5. Regulatory Agencies Would Shut Labs Down Without Statistical Analysis.

Reply to Bernardo de La Paz (Reply #2)

Mon Sep 22, 2025, 08:32 AM

Monday

I am older enough to remember when quantitative precipitation was widely applied method of analysis.

There too statistical analysis was required. Often uncertainties were estimated by understanding the systematic error in the measuring device. One could even get to the level of understanding the buoyancy in air for counterweights.

I would imagine that every undergraduate analytical chemistry course still has statistics in its curriculum.

Analytical chemistry is meaningless without statistical analysis.

The experiment you suggest would be meaningless without understanding the concentration of the reagents.

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Highlight:

Offending the Analyst, the view "if you need to use statistics, then you have not designed your experiment very well". [View all] NNadir Friday OP

My first thought is that the authors were referencing the use of the P-value erronis Friday #1

I have always used a "shotgun" approach to literature. I'm so old that it used to involve bringing loads of... NNadir Saturday #3

There is a difference between "need" and "use" Bernardo de La Paz Saturday #2

Regulatory Agencies Would Shut Labs Down Without Statistical Analysis. NNadir Monday #5

Likewise, there is a difference between the ideal experiment that is convincing on the face of it and the Bernardo de La Paz Monday #6

Thank you for focusing on the statistics of my finger thickness on cell phone keys. NNadir Monday #7

I can understand what they're saying -- if statistics are all you have, that might draw skepticism -- but some things eppur_se_muova Monday #4