Thursday, February 1, 2024

Hsieh Forbes Column: How Much Basic Math And Health Statistics Should Legislators Know?

My latest Forbes is now out: "How Much Basic Math And Health Statistics Should Legislators Know?"

How much basic math do legislators know?

The Royal Statistical Society asked 101 members of the U.K. Parliament in 2021, “If you toss a fair coin twice, what is the probability of getting two heads?” The correct answer is, of course, 1/4 or 25%.

However, only 52% of the MPs got the answer correct. On the bright side, this is an improvement from 2011, when only 40% of the MPs got the answer correct.

My first thought when I learned about this study: I would love to know how U.S. congressmen would perform with the question...