The December 2020 issue (17:6) of Significance has just been published.

Included in this issue:

In a data‐driven economy, access to data is vital. So, what happens when data are not available due to disclosure issues or other restrictions? As Ioannis Kaloskampis, Chaitanya Joshi, Catrin Cheung, David Pugh and Louisa Nolan explain, in such situations it may still be possible to draw useful conclusions based on carefully manufactured data.

Simon Raper chronicles the rise and fall of the deterministic view of the universe – the idea that all events can be explained entirely by their causes – and how this change in mindset altered our understanding of probability.

Maria Ibrahim, a kidney doctor in training, explains the vital role of statistics and statistical analysis in transplant medicine: from matching donor organs to patients, to helping doctors and patients discuss the risks and benefits of a life‐changing operation.

Matthew Russell asks whether Earth’s existing forestland has the space and resources necessary to enable 1 trillion additional trees to survive and thrive.

Deborah Nolan and Sara Stoudt present a framework for learning the art of statistical storytelling.

Significance magazine has opened its archives for access by the public. The magazine’s volumes 1-16 are available to read, free of charge. Further, all magazine content will be made freely available one year after its initial publication. RSS and ASA members and subscribers will continue to enjoy exclusive access to the latest magazine content.

Significance is a bi-monthly magazine for anyone interested in statistics and the analysis and interpretation of data. Its aim is to communicate and demonstrate in an entertaining, thought provoking and non-technical way the practical use of statistics in all walks of life, and to show informatively and authoritatively how statistics benefit society. It is published on behalf of the Royal Statistical Society and the American Statistical Association.