CMIST afternoon seminar: Sex by numbers: what statistics can, and can't, te...
Date and time
Description
Speaker: Prof. David Spiegelhalter (University of Cambridge)
Title: Sex by numbers: what statistics can, and can't, tell us about sexual behaviour.
Abstract:
How often, with whom, and doing what? The statistics of sexual behaviour can be riveting, but can we believe them? I will look at examples ranging from pre-nuptial pregnancy rates in 1580, through Kinsey and Shere Hite, to modern online surveys and the latest Natsal survey: each will be given a rough 'star-rating' according to their reliability. In particular, I will confront two questions: why do men report more sexual partners than do women, and why are more boys born at the end of wars?
Since October 2007 David Spiegelhalter has been Winton Professor for the Public Understanding of Risk in the Statistical Laboratory, Centre for Mathematical Sciences, University of Cambridge. His latest book – Sex by Numbers: What Statistics Can Tell Us About Sexual Behaviour – accompanied the Wellcome’s Institute of Sexology exhibition and covers some extraordinary stats and studies highlighting the challenges of taking a scientific approach to this tricky area. David will be talking about some of the key issues raised in his book.
Refreshments: Water/juice in room from just before 4.
All welcome. This is a free event but please register on eventbrite so that we have an idea of numbers attending.
