The Numbers Guy examines numbers in the news, business and politics. Some numbers are flat-out wrong or biased, while others are valid and help us make informed decisions. Carl Bialik tells the stories behind the stats, in daily updates on this blog and in his column published every other Friday in The Wall Street Journal. Carl, who holds a degree in mathematics and physics from Yale University, also cowrites The Daily Fix, a sports column on WSJ.com. He welcomes your comments at .

WSJ.com: The Numbers Guy
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Carl Bialik examines the way numbers are used, and abused.

The Numbers Behind Modern Star Search
Ranking celebrities on name recognition and popularity is more art than science.
The Trouble With Web-Traffic Numbers
Stats from comScore, Nielsen, Compete and other rivals often don't match up, creating confusion in the marketplace.
Dow 10000 and Other Arbitrary Milestones
Dow 10000, 10% unemployment, $3 gas and other round numbers don't signify much, but they can matter simply because people think they do.
Census Bureau’s Balancing Act
Recently reported flaws in census data highlight the tension between protecting respondents' privacy and ensuring data accuracy.
How Hollywood Box-Office Records Are Made
Inflation and population growth aren't accounted for.
How the CDC Counts H1N1 Cases
The agency must extrapolate from few confirmed cases.
Winter Wager Almost Yields Windfall
A bet took advantage of probability principles but was ruled invalid.
Tiger Woods and Market-Moving Events
A closer look at a recent study suggesting the Tiger Woods scandal cost shareholders $12 billion, and other research of its ilk.
Fun with Calendars
'Tis the season for end-of-year stories. So in the spirit of the new year, this week's print column tackles calendars. Yes, the old faithful Gregorian model has been with us for 400 years, but a devoted band of reformers thinks it's ripe for a change.
On a Scale of One to Four, How Happy Are You?
Surveys asking such questions have been on the rise in the U.S.