“I have never enjoyed Chopin’s ‘Preludes’,” writes David S. Hill in this issue’s cover feature. “But when I first saw his distribution of register, the curve moved me more deeply than his music ever will.”
The intertwining of music and mathematics has been recognized since Ancient Greece, and Hill, who’s discovered a pattern in tonal music, is not the only member of the stats community we know to be a huge fan of classical music. The application of statistical methods to musical analysis is becoming more widespread, but so many questions remain unanswered in this area that are ripe for interdisciplinary research.
Another example of harmony in this issue comes from our interview with Pekka Pere, who is president of the Finnish Statistical Society and co-founder of an online Finnish–English dictionary of statistical terms that enables Finnish data professionals to glide more easily between international and national milieux. Our conversation made me think more deeply about the challenges facing statisticians whose first language is not English. It’s a major inclusivity issue we don’t talk about enough. Not that linguistic difference is always a problem. Indeed, Pekka’s interview might have you wishing for some Finnish flair in your own tongue.
May 2026 issue highlights:
Breast cancer research
When so many findings remain invisible, should statisticians force a culture shift?
Horse racing
Winning and losing at Triple Crown horse-races like May’s Kentucky Derby
OpenSAFELY’s health data goldmine
How a smart new platform is revolutionizing open working
FBI bullet analysis
The technique used to identify JFK’s assassin is full of flaws
Medieval marriage and family
Statistical adventures in three ancient Austrian cemeteries
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