Normal Curves: Sexy Science, Serious Statistics
Normal Curves: Sexy Science, Serious Statistics
Podcast Description
Normal Curves is a podcast about sexy science & serious statistics. Ever try to make sense of a scientific study and the numbers behind it? Listen in to a lively conversation between two stats-savvy friends who break it all down with humor and clarity. Professors Regina Nuzzo of Gallaudet University and Kristin Sainani of Stanford University discuss academic papers journal club-style — except with more fun, less jargon, and some irreverent, PG-13 content sprinkled in. Join Kristin and Regina as they dissect the data, challenge the claims, and arm you with tools to assess scientific studies on your own.
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast centers around the intersection of science and statistics, delving into topics such as the interpretation of scientific studies, statistical methodologies, and the implications of research findings, with episode examples including critiques of recent medical studies and discussions on how to understand p-values and confidence intervals.
Normal Curves is a podcast about sexy science & serious statistics. Ever try to make sense of a scientific study and the numbers behind it? Listen in to a lively conversation between two stats-savvy friends who break it all down with humor and clarity. Professors Regina Nuzzo of Gallaudet University and Kristin Sainani of Stanford University discuss academic papers journal club-style — except with more fun, less jargon, and some irreverent, PG-13 content sprinkled in. Join Kristin and Regina as they dissect the data, challenge the claims, and arm you with tools to assess scientific studies on your own.
Exercise has long been hailed as cancer-fighting magic, but is there hard evidence behind the hype? In this episode, we tackle the CHALLENGE trial, a large phase III study of colon cancer patients that tested whether prescribed exercise could improve cancer-free survival. We translate clinical jargon into plain English, show why ratio statistics make splashy headlines while absolute differences tell the real story, and take a detour into why statisticians think survival analysis is downright sexy. And we even bring in a classic reality show to make sense of the numbers.
Statistical topics
- Data and Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB)
- Hazard ratios
- Intention-to-treat analysis
- Interim analyses
- Kaplan-Meier curves
- Phase III trials
- Randomized clinical trial
- Rates and rate ratios
- Relative vs absolute differences
- Stratified randomization with minimization
- Survival analysis
- Time-to-event variables
Methodological morals
- “Ratio statistics sell headlines. Absolute differences sell truth.”
- “Survival analysis is this sexy stats tool that makes every moment and every Cox count.”
References
- Courneya KS, Vardy JL, O’Callaghan CJ, et al. Structured Exercise after Adjuvant Chemotherapy for Colon Cancer. NEJM. 2025;393:13-25.
- Rabin RC. Are Marathons and Extreme Running Linked to Colon Cancer?The New York Times. Aug 19, 2025.
- Sainani KL. Introduction to survival analysis. PM&R. 2016; 8:580-85.
- Sainani KL. Making sense of intention-to-treat. PM&R. 2010;2:209-13.
Thanks
Thanks to Caitlin Goodrich for the episode topic tip!
Kristin and Regina’s online courses:
Demystifying Data: A Modern Approach to Statistical Understanding
Clinical Trials: Design, Strategy, and Analysis
Medical Statistics Certificate Program
Epidemiology and Clinical Research Graduate Certificate Program
Programs that we teach in:
Epidemiology and Clinical Research Graduate Certificate Program
Find us on:
Kristin – LinkedIn & Twitter/X
Regina – LinkedIn &ReginaNuzzo.com
- (00:00) – Intro
- (05:42) – Two different types of cancer studies
- (08:12) – Why might exercise affect cancer?
- (10:05) – Phase III trials are different
- (12:40) – Who was in the CHALLENGE trial?
- (13:31) – Stratified randomization with minimization
- (15:05) – The exercise prescription
- (18:23) – What did the CHALLENGE trial measure?
- (19:10) – Disease-free survival
- (21:05) – Data and Safety Monitoring Board – what do they do?
- (23:41) – Participants and adherence to exercise
- (26:00) – Intention-to-treat analysis
- (29:04) – Survival analysis overview
- (30:57) – Kaplan-Meier curves
- (33:33) – Reality-show analogy
- (36:00) – Ratio statistics are confusing
- (38:36) – Hazard ratios
- (46:09) – Wrap-up, rating, and methodological morals
Disclaimer
This podcast’s information is provided for general reference and was obtained from publicly accessible sources. The Podcast Collaborative neither produces nor verifies the content, accuracy, or suitability of this podcast. Views and opinions belong solely to the podcast creators and guests.
For a complete disclaimer, please see our Full Disclaimer on the archive page. The Podcast Collaborative bears no responsibility for the podcast’s themes, language, or overall content. Listener discretion is advised. Read our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy for more details.