Data mining

Data mining, sometimes tagged with less-flattering names like data fishing or data snooping, is the art (or perhaps the mischief) of teasing out patterns from data. But here's the catch: these patterns might appear statistically sound but may lack a real-world rationale. Ever heard of P-hacking? It's a classic data mining move - running multiple statistical tests, but only spotlighting the 'winners' (those with tempting p-values). From medical fields like epidemiology to the intricate world of finance, data mining has made its mark. But as some top academics point out, especially in financial studies, tread carefully. While data mining can reveal useful patterns, it's crucial to differentiate genuine insights from mere statistical mirages.