How science got statistics

Abstract

The role of statistics in science today goes well beyond the analysis of experimental results: it extends into the fabric of the science itself. Nature seems to operate as much by statistical laws as physical ones. Yet before the mid-19th century no one had an inkling that this was so. The enfolding of statistical concepts is one of the most profound changes in the history of science. Basil Mahon tells how two remarkable men began this transformation.