{"podcast":{"title":"Normal Curves: Sexy Science, Serious Statistics","slug":"normal-curves-sexy-science-serious-statistics-7212156","podcast_index_feed_id":7212156,"rss_url":"https://feeds.transistor.fm/normal-curves","website_url":"https://www.normalcurves.com/","image_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/3nh-QbnGiyC0kG4tQRWb4fTYyDh5wonK_KZjqlkFNSY/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:1400/h:1400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS9hYmEw/YmE3N2JmMDhmNjli/YTg2MjhlOTQ0OGU4/Yzg2OC5wbmc.jpg","author":"Regina Nuzzo","episode_count":38,"summary":"Normal Curves is a podcast about sexy science & serious statistics. Ever try to make sense of a scientific study and the numbers behind it? Listen in to a lively conversation between two stats-savvy friends who break it all down with humor and clarity. Professors Regina Nuzzo of Gallaudet University and Kristin Sainani of Stanford University discuss academic papers journal club-style — except with more fun, less jargon, and some irreverent, PG-13 content sprinkled in. Join Kristin and Regina as they dissect the data, challenge the claims, and arm you with tools to assess scientific studies on your own.","last_synced_at":"2026-06-30T00:19:09.554623+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/normal-curves-sexy-science-serious-statistics-7212156"},"episode":{"title":"P-Values: Are we using a flawed statistical tool?","slug":"p-values-are-we-using-a-flawed-statistical-tool","published_at":"2025-09-22T11:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/normal-curves-sexy-science-serious-statistics-7212156/p-values-are-we-using-a-flawed-statistical-tool","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/normal-curves-sexy-science-serious-statistics-7212156","url":"https://www.normalcurves.com/p-values-are-we-using-a-flawed-statistical-tool/","audio_url":"https://op3.dev/e/media.transistor.fm/ab67a932/d16d8266.mp3","summary":"P-values show up in almost every scientific paper, yet they’re one of the most misunderstood ideas in statistics. In this episode, we break from our usual journal-club format to unpack what a p-value really is, why researchers have fought about it for a century, and how that famous 0.05 cutoff became enshrined in science. Along the way, we share stories from our own papers—from a Nature feature that helped reshape the debate to a statistical sleuthing project that uncovered a faulty method in sports science. The result: a behind-the-scenes look at how one statistical tool has shaped the culture of science itself. Statistical topics Bayesian statistics Confidence intervals Effect size vs. statistical significance Fisher’s conception of p-values Frequentist perspective Magnitude-Based Inference (MBI) Multiple testing / multiple comparisons Neyman-Pearson hypothesis testing framework P-hacking Posterior probabilities Preregistration and registered reports Prior probabilities P-values Researcher degrees of freedom Significance thresholds (p < 0.05) Simulation-based inference Statistical power Statistical significance Transparency in research Type I error (false positive) Type II error (false negative) Winner’s Curse Methodological morals “​​If p-values tell us the probability the null is true, then octopuses are psychic.” “Statistical tools don't fool us, blind faith in them does.” References Nuzzo R. Scientific method: statistical errors. Nature. 2014 Feb 13;506(7487):150-2. doi: 10.1038/506150a. Nuzzo, R., 2015. Scientists perturbed by loss of stat tools to sift research fudge from fact . Scientific American , pp.16-18. Nuzzo RL. The inverse fallacy and interpreting P values . PM&R. 2015 Mar;7(3):311-4. doi: 10.1016/j.pmrj.2015.02.011. Epub 2015 Feb 25. Nuzzo, R.,…","meta_description":"P-values show up in almost every scientific paper, yet they’re one of the most misunderstood ideas in statistics. In this episode, we break from our usual…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":4406,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/normal-curves-sexy-science-serious-statistics-7212156/episodes/p-values-are-we-using-a-flawed-statistical-tool/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/normal-curves-sexy-science-serious-statistics-7212156/p-values-are-we-using-a-flawed-statistical-tool.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}