On Saturday 4th March, we were delighted to host Dr Emily Grossman, who delivered a lecture to our SFC1 (Year 12) mathematicians entitled ‘Lies, Damned Lies and Newspapers: The Use and Abuse of Statistics in the Media’.
In her interactive and light-hearted talk, Dr Grossman raised interesting questions about how the media constantly misuse, misinterpret and abuse statistics, sometimes knowingly, in order to tell a good story. She used examples of her own embarrassing moments on television, where the information she was relying on to answer questions had been genuinely misinterpreted or was biased in some way, in spite of being published in respected journals, which prompted students to question the pitfalls of taking statistical data at face value.
She used fun and thought-provoking examples, including a study that seemed to suggest that chocolate can help you lose weight, and another which had concluded that cats are actually more stressed when you stroke them.
We also loved hearing about Dr Grossman’s varied career as a woman in STEM. She studied Natural Sciences at Cambridge, followed by a PhD in cancer research, then went to drama school and had a period working in musical theatre whilst tutoring in maths and science. She now combines her skills as a science broadcaster, writer, educator, trainer and activist.
Her honesty and openness delivered an empowering message to our students about doing the things you love. SFC1 (Year 12) student, Muse, said: “The balance between science and art has always bothered me. However, Dr Grossman inspired me when she shared her experience as a science teacher whilst working part-time in theatre as well. I realise that instead of giving up one and focusing on the other, I might be able to find a way through that links both areas.”
Mrs Adnams, Teacher of Mathematics
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