Physics Graduate Student Seminar with Jason Bub on Discussions with Data: Using Data Analysis to Learn From Nature

Data is good. Data tells us things. But how do we figure out what data is telling us? This is the art of data analysis, where we find ways to extract information from data. To accomplish this, we explore the tools in the analysis toolbox: confidence intervals, maximum likelihood, and Bayesian analysis. With such tools, we can learn a lot with only a tiny bit of effort.

From there, we can learn ways of extracting information from nuclear data to constrain models of nuclear interactions. We know all models are wrong, but if we are careful, we can create models that are useful and crack open the secrets nature hides in plain sight.