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'Calculators Killed the Standard Statistical Table' (sas.com)

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the obituary dept.

theodp writes: In an obituary of sorts for the standard probability tables that were once ubiquitous in introductory statistics textbooks, Rick Wicklin writes: "In my first probability and statistics course, I constantly referenced the 23 statistical tables (which occupied 44 pages!) in the appendix of my undergraduate textbook. Any time I needed to compute a probability or test a hypothesis, I would flip to a table of probabilities for the normal, t, chi-square, or F distribution and use it to compute a probability (area) or quantile (critical value). If the value I needed wasn't tabulated, I had to manually perform linear interpolation from two tabulated values. I had no choice: my calculator did not have support for these advanced functions. In contrast, kids today have it easy! When my son took AP statistics in high school, his handheld calculator (a TI-84, which costs about $100) could compute the PDF, CDF, and quantiles of all the important probability distributions. Consequently, his textbook did not include an appendix of statistical tables."

14 of 180 comments (clear)

  1. So what? by mschaffer · · Score: 4, Funny

    I was in one of the last years my high school taught to use sliderules. Fancy ones already had trig scales. Didn't need the trig tables anymore.

    1. Re: So what? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

      All of those are functionally better than a calculator. A slide rule, abacus or knots on a string all provide a spacial metaphor for values. These spacial metaphors allow your brain to visualize a value's meaning, even when transitioning to calculator. Without this, the answer is just a food pellet delivered by magic when the feeder bar is pressed.

    2. Re:So what? by oddaddresstrap · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Freshman year in college, learning how to use a sliderule was mandatory. A year later they were gone, completely disappeared. The TI SR-50 killed them.

    3. Re:So what? by Oswald+McWeany · · Score: 5, Funny

      That's a LOT better than the knots-on-strings I learned with.

      I remember when string was invented. It saved time on having to make arrays of chars.

      --
      "That's the way to do it" - Punch
    4. Re:So what? by Joce640k · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Freshman year in college, learning how to use a sliderule was mandatory. A year later they were gone, completely disappeared. The TI SR-50 killed them.

      "Anyone who can't use a slide rule is a cultural illiterate and should not be allowed to vote."

      (Robert Heinlein, in "Have Space Suit, Will Travel")

      --
      No sig today...
    5. Re:So what? by ClickOnThis · · Score: 3, Funny

      Ah yes, chalk on moving buffalo.

      'Course, there's an emacs command for that.

      --
      If it weren't for deadlines, nothing would be late.
  2. Not a problem. by Lab+Rat+Jason · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I just don't see this as a problem. At some point, you have to consider whether NOT walking to school in 12 feet of snow up hill both ways somehow contributed to a better education that allows us to do the amazing things we do these days. Some things simply harder, without being better.

    --
    Which has more power: the hammer, or the anvil?
  3. The only problem here I see... by The+MAZZTer · · Score: 5, Insightful

    ...is TI-84s still cost $100.

    1. Re:The only problem here I see... by smi.james.th · · Score: 4, Informative

      Obligatory XKCD: https://xkcd.com/768/

      --
      One thing I know, and that is that I am ignorant...
  4. Well, yeah. by Chris+Mattern · · Score: 3, Informative

    There used to be books of nothing but tables of logarithms and other mathematical tables, like trig functions. You used them when you needed more significant places in your answer than a slide rule could give you. I still have the one my dad used in college. They don't make those any more.

  5. First. World. Problems: Paper isn't wasted by UnknownSoldier · · Score: 5, Insightful

    First. World. Problems: We no longer waste paper to print archaic Mathematical tables /sarcasm OH NOES!

    You know what else is "dead" ?

    * Slide rule
    * Tables of common Logarithms
    * Tables of Trigonometric functions

    Guess what, nobody is stopping you from buying those tables from old CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics which have them.

    Apparently you didn't get the memo that a cheap calculator is "good enough."

    What's next?

    Whining that we don't have rotary telephones? Black and White televisions?

  6. Lazarus Long by mykepredko · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Now we're getting to the point where: "A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects."

    --
    Mimetics Inc. Twitter
  7. Re:Well, yeah. by john.r.strohm · · Score: 3, Informative

    They still do.

    CRC Handbook of Standard Mathematical Tables

    https://www.amazon.com/Standar...

  8. Re:Well, yeah. by unixisc · · Score: 3, Interesting

    If and when that happens, the world would have far greater problems than dealing w/ multiplication or trigonometry. Going from an electrified society to one where the day lasts only as long as one can see is asking for major adjustments