John Tukey
Statistician who invented the word 'bit' and the box plot.
Their Story
John Tukey was an American mathematician and statistician who shaped how we explore and display data. He invented graphical tools like the box plot and helped develop the fast Fourier transform, a method for analyzing signals quickly. He is also credited with coining the words 'bit' and 'software.'
Era
1900s
Field
Statistics
John Tukey
Statistician who invented the word 'bit' and the box plot.
Math · Statistics · 1900s
Their Story
John Tukey was an American mathematician and statistician who shaped how we explore and display data. He invented graphical tools like the box plot and helped develop the fast Fourier transform, a method for analyzing signals quickly. He is also credited with coining the words 'bit' and 'software.'
Key Innovation
Founded exploratory data analysis and created visual tools, like the box plot, for understanding data.
Why It Matters Today
His methods power the charts and data analysis used in science, business, and everyday news stories.
Learn More
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Tukey
Wilkinson STEM Education Foundation · 251 American Innovators · wilkinsonstemfoundation.org
