All Posts

The air in the rink felt sharp enough to cut my lungs. I dropped into position and waited for the referee's signal. I started short track speed skating when I was ten years old – not as a hobby, but as training to become an athlete. Through the sport, I learned not only to skate fast but also how to control myself under pressure. Competing on the ice made me grow. It was through short track speed skating that I learned 'nervousness' was not an emotion to avoid but energy that

– Why We Are Easily Persuaded by Large Numbers When I encounter news and advertisements, I immediately focus on numbers because these figures serve as my main point of interest. As numbers grow larger, their impact strengthens. Claims such as “10 million users,” “100,000 clinical cases,” and “chosen by hundreds of millions worldwide” automatically make me agree. I establish trust before I finish reading every detail. At first, this reaction felt reasonable. The quality of res

– The Real Role of Forecasts, Probability, and Models People tend to make incorrect predictions when attempting to forecast future events. Weather forecasts often fail to provide accurate weather predictions, while stock market forecasts yield multiple results, and election polls do not correspond to actual election outcomes. Despite this, we continue to monitor them. We check weather conditions before leaving our residence, study market forecasts, and track election polling

I used to view rankings as exact markers that demonstrated exactly how well someone achieved their goals. I would check my position on the ranking board before I checked my actual exam scores after the examinations ended. People used to ask about universities and apps and sports teams by starting with the question, "What rank is it?” The ranking system helped people select their options. The upper position represented success, but the lower position showed failure to keep up.

Every statistical number and percentage value in news reports used to receive my complete trust without any hesitation. To me, the numbers were perfectly pure without any flaws. The entire group approved our decision without sparking any discussion. The public trusted percentage-based findings as absolute outcomes because numbers seemed to generate definite solutions that nobody could disprove. However, that belief underwent a radical shift due to a small event. I recall an a

– Thoughts Sparked by Dating App Advertisements When I see dating app advertisements, numbers always come first: millions of users, billions of matches, highly advanced algorithms. The message is clear—bigger numbers must mean better results. That idea feels familiar. In statistics classes, I learned that as sample size increases, variance decreases and averages become more stable. On the surface, the logic makes sense. But the more I paid attention to these ads, the more one

What I Learned About Thinking with Numbers My previous goal was to find answers that appeared complete. The solution required everyone to agree on it before we could proceed. I did not find the phrase “it depends” to be a satisfactory response when people used it. The speaker seemed to be dodging the inquiry by refusing to provide a direct answer. I wanted something clearer than that. I felt I had reached a final answer only when all opposing views were completely resolved.

Whenever a U.S. election season begins, polling numbers quickly take over the news. Percentages, charts, and predictions appear everywhere, and the coverage often makes the outcome feel almost decided. For a long time, I accepted these numbers without much hesitation. If tens of thousands of people were surveyed, it seemed reasonable to trust the results. That confidence started to change as I followed multiple U.S. elections through the news. I noticed moments when polls poi

The television debate showed me a previously known example that demonstrated ice cream purchases went up while more people died from drowning accidents. Initially, I found this information uninteresting. However, the situation presented itself as a regular event that most people chose to ignore. Two graphs show identical upward trends. One graph shows an upward trend which the other graph follows. I move forward with my life after I see these two patterns which match perfectl

Mean, median, and mode can lead to very different interpretations of the same data, often producing conflicting summaries. After the CSAT, the results became the main topic of discussion. People evaluated the difficulty of the exam using raw scores, rankings, and average scores. At the time, I accepted these numbers without much doubt. The average, in particular, appeared simple and reliable, as if it could explain everything on its own. My perspective changed when I later