Estimates and Errors: The Theory of Scientific Measurement

Measurement plays a fundamental role in science, but many biologists have no formal training in what it means to measure something. Errors are inevitable in any measurement. Which are inherent, and which can be controlled? How do errors propagate? How can you decide which data to reject? When are uncertainties normal? In this course we will work our way into the theory of measurement, covering some topics that overlap with inferential statistics (but from a new and perhaps more intuitive perspective), and extending beyond those basics to include spectral analysis and the dangers of measurement in the digital realm.