Statistical literacy and saving lives for $1,000,000
We hypothesise about something called statistical literacy, which may or may not be a developmental milestone. We also learn what it takes to save a life.
Hopefully getting back into the regular rhythm shortly.
New articles
Statistical Literacy
For some time now I have hypothesised that there exists something called statistical literacy, which has something to do with recognising sources of variation and being able to judge which is greater. I try to explain sort of what I mean in this article, but it's also difficult because I'm not sure myself!
Full article (7–15 minute read): Statistical Literacy
Flashcard of the week
For many, the past month has been the season of giving, so let's review a flashcard relating to that.
How much money does an effective charity need to save a life?
For reference, taxpayers in the North Atlantic spend about $1,000,000 to save one of their own. Here, "saving a life" means giving someone roughly 30 additional quality-adjusted life years. As long as that costs less than a million dollars, we can usually use government resources to do so around the North Atlantic.
An effective charity saves one life per $5,000 received
That's quite the difference!
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