Royal Statistical Society - Edinburgh Local Group
Talks - Events - Statistics - Data
Jobs of the Unknown: a Maths Week Scotland Careers Event in Edinburgh
Date: Wed 24 September 2025
Time: 4:45pm - 6:30pm
Venue:
Bayes Centre, Edinburgh
Event focus: Careers in both Statistics and Data Science.
Target Audience: Secondary School S5 and S6 pupils and University
Undergraduates
Event format:
We will have a diverse collection of Mystery Guests who are currently either Statisticians or
Data Scientists, who are willing to be quizzed on their field of speciality. But the aim of the
evening is to discover what those specialities are!
Attendees will be put into small groups to circulate around the venue, meeting each Mystery
Guest for up to 10 minutes. During that time, attendees can ask the Mystery Guest a series of
questions in a bid to find out what field of data it is that they work in. Any
remaining time will be available for the Mystery Guest to tell the group a little about what
they do in a typical day, and to answer any follow-up questions.
Refreshments will be available.
Register Here
A similar event is happening in Glasgow on Thu 25 Sep 2025.
Yes, but what happened at the Jobs of the Unknown Events that took place in 2023 and 2024?
Each event involved 1 hour of intense discussion between 50 people about data and statistics, and the
consumption of 48 muffins, 1.2kg of crisps and snacks, 15 litres of drink, and 1 tub of Heroes
Chocolates!
"It was an eye opening experience. I did not know the data and statistics could affect
so many
different sectors in the world of work, such as forestry and cancer research."
"The event worked very well and my pupils gained a lot from it. They have a better
understanding of the opportunities available to someone with a background in statistics and
enjoyed speaking with all the mystery guests."
"A great experience - the interrogations went well and the young people had some very
insightful
questions. The atmosphere was exciting and inclusive, and I personally learned a lot about how
to describe what I do."
"I really enjoyed it - it was fun to meet lots of young people and talk about what I
do. It made me reflect more on what I do and why, and what I love about it - so a really
energising evening that was well organised."
Future Events
Date: Thu 1 May 2025
Time: 6:00pm - 7:30pm
Venue:
Bayes Centre, 47 Potterrow, Edinburgh, EH8 9BT
Topic: Astronomy and Cosmology
Date: TBC 2025
Time: TBC
Venue: Glasgow
Topic: Joint Scotland Sports Event
Date: Mon 30 June 2025
Time: 6:00pm - 7:30pm
Venue: Online, Microsoft Teams
Topic: Pride Month, Celebrating Diversity
Date: Mon 28 July 2025
Time: 1:00pm - 2:00pm
Venue: Online, Microsoft Teams
Topic: Why Festivals need Statistics
Date: TBC 2025
Time: 2:00pm - 4:00pm
Venue:
Bayes Centre, 47 Potterrow, Edinburgh, EH8 9BT
Topic: Training for Careers in Statistics
Date: Wed 24 September 2025
Time: 4:45pm - 6:30pm
Venue:
Bayes Centre, 47 Potterrow, Edinburgh, EH8 9BT
Topic: Jobs of the Unknown: a Maths Week Scotland Careers Event
Date: Thu 9 October 2025
Time: 6:00pm - 7:30pm
Venue:
Bayes Centre, 47 Potterrow, Edinburgh, EH8 9BT
Topic: Public Health Scotland Showcase
Date: 28 October 2025
Time: 6:00pm - 7:00pm
Venue: Online, Microsoft Teams
Topic: Causal Inference
Date: Thu 20 November 2025
Time: 6:00pm - 8:00pm
Venue:
Bayes Centre, 47 Potterrow, Edinburgh, EH8 9BT
Topic: Edinburgh Office for National Statistics and the Annual General
Meeting
Past Events
Date: Mon 31 March 2025
Time: 6:00pm - 7:30pm
Venue:
Bayes Centre, 47 Potterrow, Edinburgh, EH8 9BT
Topic: Undergraduate Student Final Year Project
Presentations
Date: Thu 27 February 2025
Time: 6:00pm - 7:30pm
Venue:
LG.11 40 George Square, The University of Edinburgh, EH8 9LX
Topic:
No likelihood? No problem! — Bayesian Statistics in R
Date: Wed 27 November 2024
Time: 2:30pm - 7:30pm
Venue:
Bayes Centre, 47 Potterrow, Edinburgh, EH8 9BT
Topic: The Past, Present and Future of Edinburgh Statistics. An
RSS Pre-Conference
Date: Wed 25 September 2024
Time: 4:45pm - 6:00pm
Venue:
Bayes Centre, 47 Potterrow, Edinburgh, EH8 9BT
Topic: Jobs of the Unknown: a Maths Week Scotland Careers
Event
Date: Tue 27 August 2024
Time: 6:00pm - 7:00pm
Venue:
Bayes Centre, 47 Potterrow, Edinburgh, EH8 9BT and Microsoft Teams
Topic: The RSS Scottish Local Groups Host the Scottish Census
Team
Date: Mon 22 July 2024
Time: 1:00pm - 2:00pm
Venue: Online, Microsoft Teams
Topic: When does AI go wrong?
Date: Tue 4 June 2024
Time: 10:30am onwards for Exhibition, 5:30pm - 6:30pm for Evening Event
Venue:
Nucleus Building Foyer, King's Buildings, Edinburgh
Topic: Mapping visual metaphors to civic facts: pop-up
exhibition
Date: Mon 15 April 2024
Time: 6:00pm - 7:00pm
Venue: Online
Topic: See the Data, Be the Data
Date: Mon 19 February 2024
Time: 5:30pm - 7:30pm
Venue:
Bayes Centre, 47 Potterrow, Edinburgh, EH8 9BT
Topic: An evening with the William Guy Lecturers
Date: 14 November 2023
Time: 6:15pm-7:15pm
Venue: Appleton Tower and Remote Video
Topic: Forensic Figures: DNA, Fingerprints & Stats
Date: 27 September 2023
Time: 5:00pm-6:00pm
Venue: Appleton Tower Foyer
Topic: Jobs of the Unknown: a Maths Week Scotland Careers
Event
Date: 20 April 2023
Time: 6:00pm-7:00pm
Venue: Appleton Tower
Topic: Real World Statistics: a Discussion Panel
Date: 9 February 2023
Time: 6:00pm-7:00pm
Venue: Appleton Tower and Remote Video
Topic: A Spotlight on AI and Data Ethics
Date: 13 October 2022
Time: 6:00pm-7:00pm
Venue: Lecture Theatre C in 40 George Square
Topic: A snapshot of the use of big data in Edinburgh
Date: 18 March 2021
Time: 6:00pm-7:00pm
Venue: Online
Topic: The power of Scottish population cohorts in health
research
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Why does this local group exist?
A: We aim to run a series of events throughout each year that promotes and celebrates the use of
Statistics. We strive to make the most of being part of Edinburgh's vibrant data scene.
Q: Does this site use any cookies?
A: No.
Q: How can I contact the Edinburgh Local Group?
A: You can send an email to: edinburghlg 'at' rss.org.uk
