Celebrated statistician Nate Silver, founder of the award-winning FiveThirtyEight.com political website, will be the President’s Invited Address speaker August 5 at the 2013 Joint Statistical Meetings (JSM) in Montréal, Québec, Canada.
Called a “number-crunching prodigy” by New York Magazine, Silver first gained national prominence during the 2008 presidential election, when he correctly predicted the results of the presidential primaries and the winner of the general election in 49 states. Silver’s prediction of the 2012 presidential election in all 50 states—silencing traditional political pundits in the process—has made him the public face of statistical analysis, data-driven journalism, and political forecasting.
“I am thrilled to announce Nate Silver as the President’s Invited Address speaker for the Joint Statistical Meetings,” says ASA President Marie Davidian. “JSM 2013 attendees will be interested in Silver’s insight on statistical analysis, the forecasting models he has developed, his data-based predictions, and his book on the role of probability and uncertainty in prediction.”
On FiveThirtyEight.com, which is now published by The New York Times, Silver authors a running forecast of current events, including elections in the United States and United Kingdom and a wide variety of hot-button and timely public policy issues, including reform of both health care and immigration.
Following his rise to fame, Silver has appeared on numerous national television programs, ranging from MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” to Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show.” His New York Times bestseller, The Signal and the Noise: Why Most Predictions Fail—But Some Don’t, takes the reader on a tour of predictive statistical modeling and analysis across a host of fields, making it essential reading for anyone interested in the power of data-driven forecasting.
Before turning his attention to politics, Silver established his credentials as an analyst of baseball statistics. He developed the widely acclaimed Player Empirical Comparison and Optimization Test Algorithm (PECOTA) system, which predicts player performance, career development, and seasonal winners and losers. He also authored a series of books on baseball statistics, including Mind Game, Baseball Between the Numbers, and It Ain’t Over ‘til It’s Over, and he has written for ESPN.com, Sports Illustrated, and The New York Times.
If you plan to attend the Joint Statistical Meetings and would like more information, visit the JSM website.
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