“Anscombe’s quartet” and the “datasaurus dozen” demonstrate the importance of visualizing data

Mark Twain once wrote, “There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics.” (He attributed the quip to former British prime minister Benjamin Disraeli, but its true origin is unknown.) Given the foundational importance of statistics in modern science, this quote paints a bleak picture of scientific endeavors. Several generations’ worth of scientific progress have proved Twain’s sentiment to be an exaggeration. Still, we shouldn’t discard the wisdom in those words. Although statistics is an essential tool for understanding the world, employing it responsibly and avoiding its pitfalls require a delicate dance.