Ellen Peters

Ellen Peters, PhD, is the Director of the Center for Science Communication Research at the University of Oregon, specializing in psychology and journalism. She dives deep into the importance of numeracy in daily life, from health decisions to financial choices. The discussion covers common misinterpretations of numbers, and how emotional responses can cloud judgment. Peters offers practical strategies to boost numerical confidence and improve decision-making, stressing the crucial role that effective communication of statistics plays in fostering trust and understanding.

Sabermetrics, the search for objective knowledge about baseball by analysing statistical records, has transformed the sport. But can statistics and formulas really do a better job of picking the best players than a baseball coach with decades of experience? Professor Steven Pinker is joined by Sig Mejdal, sabermetrician, former NASA engineer and assistant manager of the Baltimore Orioles and by Professor Ellen Peters, director of the Centre for Science Communication Research in the School of Journalism and Communication at the University of Oregon. They discuss the ongoing relationship between human expertise and statistical evidence.Producers: Imogen Walford and Joe Kent Editor: Emma Rippon Think with Pinker is produced in partnership with The Open University.ARCHIVE Laurel or Yanny: vocabulary.com