Re: [Phys-L] Bayesian Inference in Half-Life measurement

[David Bowman <David_Bowman@georgetowncollege.edu>]

Regarding Paul's endorsement:

> You'd really enjoy David MacKay's lecture 10 on Information
> theory.  He really rips into physicists regarding "old school"
> methods.  He's a physicist, actually.  So he should know.
>
> Basically, the "old school" method is wrong and is not used in
> modern analysis of half-life measurements.

Speaking of old-school methods, supposedly Ernst Rutherford is reported to have said, "If your experiment needs statistics, you ought to have done a better experiment."  Interestingly enough, he was the guy whose main claim to fame strongly relied on the statistics of relatively rare greatly backscattered alpha particles.

Dave Bowman