Desired and Feared—Quo vadis or Quid agis?

Abstract

The recent article by Meng (2009a) continues a long tradition of articles in this journal dealing with the future of statistics and statisticians. For over 25 years many of these accounts painted varying shades of the same grim picture—that our continued existence is under threat; the challenges are great; respect has been in short supply; and our future is bleak. In this article I suggest we spend less time scanning the cross-disciplinary borders for new intrusions and rather than shoring up the fortress, we open up the borders. I share Meng’s upbeat enthusiasm for a bright future while recognizing much remains to be done to increase our relevance and effectiveness.

Keywords:  :

• Accreditation
• Communication
• Future of statistics
• Outreach
• Statistical education