Statistical inference is the process by which the data speak to us, idling us to draw meaningful conclusions. This is the payoff! The
Statistical inference is not dependent on this simplifying assumption, but the assorted methodological fixes for dealing with small samples or imperfect data often get in the way of understanding the big picture. The purpose here is to introduce the power of statistical inference and to explain how it works. Once you get that, it’s easy enough to layer on complexity.