Math 141: Readings for October 1, 2025

Reading

Before coming to lecture today, please read the following material:

• Are Top 6 Posters Worth It? A Statistical Analysis from the front page of The Quest this week.

Homework Assignment

After you’ve completed the reading, but before coming to class, please complete the following homework assignment. Bring your responses to this assignment (handwritten or typed) to class on a piece of paper:

Write a short (maximum 1-page) reflection on the assigned reading. In your reflection, make sure to address the following questions:

• What do you think of the sampling design that the author used? How might you improve the sampling design?
• Is this an observational study or experiment?
• What causal conclusions does the author make (or want you to make) from their analysis?
• Are those causal conclusions valid?
  • If not, describe how one could design an experiment where these causal conclusions could be made.