King's Factor Lecture: Stats important!

You're warmly invited to this in-person event with statistician Professor Jen Visser-Rogers. We particularly welcome mathematics students from local schools and university students interested in maths. This event is suitable for those aged 16+.

Book your tickets now! Bookings close Friday 15 February.

About the talk

Real life involves risks. From cycling without a helmet, visiting a country with contagious diseases, to living near the water. Sometimes your perception of risk is distorted, making you think that some things are more – or less – risky than is actually the case. And sometimes things happen just by chance, right? The job of a statistician is to decide whether any differences in data are likely to be just by chance, or whether they are 'statistically significant'. But how much evidence do you need before you can say that what you see is significant? How do you untangle causality from chance? And what do the numbers even mean?

Professor Jen Visser-Rogers has used statistics to answer all sorts of questions about topics such as climate change and medicine. In this talk she’ll be taking you through some of the most important concepts in statistics as she looks at extreme weather events, pharmaceutical drug trials, bacon sandwiches, and more. After the talk, Professor Visser-Rogers will be staying for an informal Q&A.

About the speaker

Professor Jennifer Visser-Rogers studied Mathematics with Statistics at Lancaster University before going to the University of Warwick to do her PhD. She is now Head of Statistical Research at PHASTAR, who provide statistical consultancy on clinical trials. Jen can regularly be found chatting all things statistics on radio and television, most recently on BBC One's Watchdog Live presenting their "Best or Worst" segment.

Additional information

This event is aimed at those aged 16 and over. Please note that attendees under the age of 14 must be accompanied by a responsible adult. If you are aged 14–18 and booking for yourself, please check with a parent or guardian before booking your place. For school groups, tickets are limited to 30 students per booking, to ensure a larger number of schools can attend.

Registration for this event will take place in reception in the main Strand Building entrance. This is on the Strand, directly opposite St Mary Le Strand Church.

This event is organised jointly by the Department of Mathematics and the Faculty of Natural, Mathematical & Engineering Sciences at King’s College London.

If you have any questions or would like any further details, please email nmes-outreach@kcl.ac.uk.

For in-person events we operate a policy of overbooking, to help manage on the day drop-out rates. Please ensure you arrive in good time to avoid disappointment on the day. Bookings close Friday 15 February.

The doors to the lecture theatre will open at around 16.00. Complimentary refreshments will also be served at this time. The talk will run from 16.30–17.30. There will then be time for informal networking and Q&A with the speaker until 18.00, when then event will finish. 

About The King's Factor

The King’s Factor is a free after-school programme that brings together students from Year 12 and Year 13 and gives them the opportunity to build their mathematical skills in a supportive environment. The programme consists of a series of after-school sessions led by staff from the Department of Mathematics at King’s College London and colleagues from King’s Maths School, supported by our talented undergraduate students. Find out more.

Accessibility

This talk will take place in the Edmond J Safra Lecture Theatre, on the ground floor of the King's Building. Access is through the main entrance on the Strand. The theatre is fully wheelchair accessible, with designated spaces for wheelchair users. There are accessible bathrooms on this floor.

The nearest step-free underground station is Blackfriars, but a number of bus routes stop a short distance from the Strand Campus. 

Photography and Privacy Notice

The event you will be attending will have photography and/or videography. If you do not wish to appear in any recordings or photographs, please approach our registration team on the day of the event or email nmes-outreach@kcl.ac.uk beforehand. Photographs and recordings taken may feature in our publications or on the King’s website and social media channels. All personal data will be processed in accordance with King’s privacy policy available here.

We collect and process your personal information to help us manage and run the event. In accordance with the King’s College London Data Retention Schedule, we will keep your information until the completion of the event. To find out more about how the university deals with your personal information, including your rights, please see the university’s core privacy notice. Your personal information will be transferred to the United States via Eventbrite. Please read this article where you can find out more on how Eventbrite protects your data.