Asking Quote by Ronald Fisher
“To call in the statistician after the experiment is done may be no more than asking him to perform a post-mortem examination: he may be able to say what the experiment died of.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Statistical Commentary, 1930s
Asking a statistician after a failed experiment is like a post‑mortem; they can diagnose causes but cannot prevent failure.
In simple terms: Statisticians can explain why something failed but not stop it.
Key Takeaway
Use statistics early, not just after.
Themes
statistics
experiment design
diagnosis
Mood
analytical
reflective
Type
advisory
diagnostic
When to use this quote
- research planning
- quality control
- risk assessment
Key Concepts
causality
post‑mortem analysis
Questions to Reflect On
- How could early statistical input change outcomes?
- What limits retrospective analysis?
A Different Perspective
Statistical insight cannot fix flawed methodology.
![“Here's what I'm saying, that there is now ongoing a post-mortem review of what could have gone better [during Hillary Clinton campaign] and what mistakes may have been made.” quote by Keith Ellison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/a0b/keith-ellison-4072_campaigns_here-s-what-i-m-saying-that-there-is-now_1032676.jpg)
![“I'm not here to say what [Clintons] did wrong. I mean, there's going to be plenty of post-mortem review of what should have gone differently.” quote by Keith Ellison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d56/keith-ellison-4072_clinton_i-m-not-here-to-say-what-clintons-did-wr_1266640.jpg)
![“[Coining the phrase "test of significance"] Critical tests of this kind may be called tests of significance, and when such tests are available we may discover whether a second sample is or is not significantly different from the first.” quote by Ronald Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/ddb/ronald-fisher-14852_available_coining-the-phrase-test-of-significance_46951.jpg)
