Students are assigned several problem sets and a paper reviewing the course text The Lady Tasting Tea. During the 2nd half of the term, students will also be working on a major team project.

Lady Tasting Tea Paper

During the first half of the term, students are required to read The Lady Tasting Tea: How Statistics Revolutionized Science in the Twentieth Century, by David Salsburg. This book provides a historical introduction to statistical and environetics principles that will be the focus of the first half of the course. Students are expected to read the entire book. The purpose of this reading is to introduce students to the field of statistics and to prepare them for the concepts and language of uncertainty, which permeates statistical thought.

A 10-page essay (10-12 pt font; 1.5-line spaced; 1-inch margins) is due at the beginning of class on Lecture 12. The essay must contain the following:

1. A brief synopsis and critique of the book (4-5 pages).
2. At least one well developed example of how statistical methods discussed in the book could be applied to a current case of suspected health effects causation by an environmental agent, food additive, or pharmaceutical (5-6 pages).

The topic(s) selected for #2 above may not overlap with the topic for a student's team project.

Following are examples of the Lady Tasting Tea paper, presented courtesy of the respective authors, used with permission.

Paper by Sueann Lee (PDF)

Paper by Jessica Hagelstein (PDF)

Paper by Erin Shea (PDF)