Roderick J. Little

摘要

The economic crises of 2008 will long be remembered-our pocketbooks are lighter, those still with a job feel fortunate, and as a board member of my local orchestra, 1 know the pain suffered by nonprofits like the ASA. For me, the economic slump highlighted the larger role that statisticians should be playing in our lives. Naseem Taleb's book The Black Swan pointed out the limitations of financial models, predicted the current woes, and advocated a skeptical empiricism that is at the heart of statistics. On other fronts, elections and censuses are fraught with statistical issues, and the central role of statistics in medicine and public health is clear, whether it is in developing better treatments, promoting healthy lifestyles, or making medical practice more effective and less costly.rnThese themes all emerged in the 2008 Joint Statistical Meetings (JSM). It was a banner year, and I have attended every JSM since 1980! For me, JSM is an essential annual pilgrimage to meet old friends and feel guilt after an unproductive year or satisfaction after a good one. With increasing specialization, JSM provides a great opportunity to assemble and experience the diversity of our profession.