Appendix F Quotes
F.1 Statistics in the pop culture
In one episode of Elementary, a modern spin of Sherlock Holmes, Holmes quoted a statistician:
while the individual man is an insoluble puzzle, in the aggregate he becomes a mathematical certainty. You can, for example, never foretell what any one man will do, but you can say with precision what an average number will be up to. Individuals vary, but percentages remain constant. So says the statistician.
http://statpics.blogspot.com/2013/01/sherlock-holmes-quotes-sherlock-holmes_14.html
F.2 Models
All models are wrong. Some are useful.
— George Box
F.3 Inspirational
As you learn to program, you are going to get frustrated. You are learning a new language, and it will take time to become fluent. But frustration is not just natural, it’s actually a positive sign that you should watch for. Frustration is your brain’s way of being lazy; it’s trying to get you to quit and go do something easy or fun. If you want to get physically fitter, you need to push your body even though it complains. If you want to get better at programming, you’ll need to push your brain. Recognize when you get frustrated and see it as a good thing: you’re now stretching yourself. Push yourself a little further every day, and you’ll soon be a confident programmer.
— From Garrett Grolemund in the Prologue of his book “Hands-On Programming with R.”
F.5 Problem solving
When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.
— Sir Authur Conan Doyle, stated by Sherlock Holmes