Statistics estimates how likely the result is to have occurred randomly.

Statistics asks

Could this result simply be due to chance?

Example

A medicine is tested.

100 patients receive it.

95 recover.

Is that because

• the medicine works,

or

• this happened by random chance?

Statistics estimates that probability.

If the probability of getting such a result purely by chance is extremely small,

scientists gain confidence that the medicine had an effect.

Notice

Statistics never proves certainty.

It estimates probability.