Biostats Night School Lesson 7: Hypothesis Testing

Let's separate the signal from the noise.

Jun 16, 2025

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Welcome back to Biostatistics Night School! You’ve learned how to design studies and collect data. Now it’s time to answer the big question: “What does the data tell us?” Hypothesis testing is the process by which we determine whether the patterns we observe are real or merely a result of random chance. In public health, this might mean determining if a new drug works, if a policy reduces smoking rates, or if a vaccine really prevents disease.

Let’s unravel the mystery behind p-values, significance, and why your results might still leave room for doubt.

Two college students are seated at individual desks, taking a test in a classroom labeled “STATISTICS” on the chalkboard behind them. The student on the left wears glasses and a shirt that reads “NULL” and appears slightly anxious. The student on the right wears a shirt labeled “ALTERNATIVE” and looks focused on their paper. Both hold pencils and are writing on lined sheets of paper. The illustration is in black and white. — You can accept one and fail to reject the other one. But which one?

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