The document announces a panel discussion taking place on July 9, 2012 at Tel Aviv University about whether the goal of statistical analysis should be explanation or prediction. Four panelists - Professors Galit Shmueli, Uri Goldbourt, Shlomo Havlin, and Irad Ben-Gal - will each present their views for 20 minutes, followed by an open discussion moderated by Professor David Steinberg. Light refreshments will be available before the event in Hebrew in the Melamed Auditorium, and background reading and a campus map are provided.

1. The Department of Statistics and Operations Research,
In cooperation with the Israel Statistical Association
To Explain or To Predict
The meeting will take place on 9 July 2012, 15-17:30 in the Melamed Auditorium,
Faculty of Exact Sciences, Tel Aviv University. There will be light refreshments
available from 14:30.
Panelists:
 Professor Galit Shmueli, SRITNE Chaired Professor of Data
Analytics, Associate Professor of Statistics & IS, Indian School of
Business, Gachibowli, Hyderabad, India
 Professor Uri Goldbourt, Department of Epidemiology and Public
Health, Tel Aviv University
 Professor Shlomo Havlin, Department of Physics, Bar Ilan University
 Professor Irad Ben-Gal, Department of Industrial Engineering, Tel
Aviv University
Moderator: Professor David Steinberg, Tel Aviv University
The discussion will be in Hebrew.
Statistics focuses on how we can most efficiently learn from data. The goals of a study
can have an important influence on how we approach statistical analysis and select
methods and actions. This panel discussion will consider these questions when the goal
is "explanation" or "prediction". Each of the panelists will have 20 minutes to present
views and ideas. Then we will have an open discussion.
You can find background reading at:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1fjj6eZwdzL1lYLxpPBAJeypm6vpC-
1WXGQdZ2AoJ1ps/edit?pli=1
The Melamed Auditorium is in the corridor between Shenkar Physics and Shenkar
Chemistry. A campus map is available at: http://www2.tau.ac.il/map/unimapl1.asp