# The "given data" paradigm undermines both cultures

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2105.12478 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2105.12478/

## Key facts

- No citing papers in the map yet (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- Builds on 0 of its 1 references that are in the map.
- First posted on arXiv 26 May 2021.

## Abstract (arXiv)

Breiman organizes "Statistical modeling: The two cultures" around a simple visual. Data, to the far right, are compelled into a "black box" with an arrow and then catapulted left by a second arrow, having been transformed into an output. Breiman then posits two interpretations of this visual as encapsulating a distinction between two cultures in statistics. The divide, he argues is about what happens in the "black box." In this comment, I argue for a broader perspective on statistics and, in doing so, elevate questions from "before" and "after" the box as fruitful areas for statistical innovation and practice.