Statistics: an active force Available to Purchase

I am proud to be a statistician. I like to reply to the question ‘What are you, Mr Boreham?’ with ‘I am a statistician’, in ringing tones. Of course at my advanced age I could be expected to be proud of my trade, having committed most of my working life to it. So you may discount my pride if you like. But I sincerely believe that I am not merely putting a good face on a mis‐spent life. I am willing and able, I think, to show that a life committed to statistics is not mis‐spent and in this paper I will try to do so. There will be three sections in it. The first will establish statistics as a basis and handmaiden of all sciences. The second will establish it as the basis for the control of all processes. The third will establish it as the essential engine of the next phase of evolution.