Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Statistical jokes, and a tribute to two role-model Singaporeans

Did you know that statisticians can tell jokes? Here's a small sampling (hehe!)...

* Why did the statistician take Viagra?
Since his sample was large, he did not want to be rejected with a small p-value and be declared practically non-significant!

* In China, even if you are a one-in-a-million kind of person, there are thousands more just like you!

* What is a triple-blinded, completely randomised case-control clinical drug trial?
One in which the patients do not know which drug treatment they are receiving, the nurses do not know which drug treatment they are administering, and the clinicians conducting the study do not know what they are doing!

* Statistics show that the number of offspring is an inherited trait. If your parents did not have any kids, the odds are that you won't either!

* A statistician is a professional who diligently collects facts and data and then carefully draws confusions about them.
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A Singaporean role model: Our second president 

One writer to ST's Forum, a medical doctor, cites Dr Benjamin Sheares as a role-model president. In his letter "Good Presidents past" (ST, 10 August, page A24), Dr Chew Shing Chai says (excerpted here):

I have good memories of our second president, Dr Benjamin Sheares, who was nominated in 1971. He was the first local professor at Kandang Kerbau Hospital and went into private practice. When he was approached to be president, he was at the peak of his career and the doyen of the obstetrics and gynaecology fraternity. He gave up a flourishing practice to accept his post.

Uncertain of presidential tenure, he entrusted his case files to a trusted colleague instead of destroying them.

A few years later, he wanted to continue teaching and resume his practice, so a clinic was set aside for his use at KK Hospital.

I was his first assistant for one of the three rotational units of his clinic, as well as coordinator for the lectures as warden of the hostel...

...When asked about his salary, he told us he was paid $17,000 a month (a medical officer was paid $2,000), which he donated entirely to charity.

Dr Sheares displayed the qualities of a fine doctor: empathy, dedication, commitment and sacrifice. But he was also a philanthropic person and had an unswerving love for Singapore.

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Another Singaporean role model: The wartime hero

Today's ST also has this story, "WWII hero dies at age 97" (page B10):

Mr Tay Ah Soey, a war hero who saved 62 people during World War II, died last Saturday of old age. He was 97.

He was among a group of five who pulled 62 people out of the water when Japanese forces dropped bombs in the sea on Feb 13, 1942, sinking boats which were ferrying people away from Singapore.

The fisherman and his two brothers had gone out on his own fishing boat, braving bullets and bombs, to save civilians and military personnel who had fallen into the sea...

... For his bravery, Mr Tay was awarded the King George V medal in 1952.        

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