Book excerpt: This volume of Methods of Experimental Physics provides an extensive introduction to probability and statistics in many areas of the physical sciences, with an emphasis on the emerging area of spatial statistics. The scope of topics covered is wide-ranging-the text discusses a variety of the most commonly used classical methods and addresses newer methods that are applicable or potentially important. The chapter authors motivate readers with their insightful discussions. - Examines basic probability, including coverage of standard distributions, time series models, and Monte Carlo methods - Describes statistical methods, including basic inference, goodness of fit, maximum likelihood, and least squares - Addresses time series analysis, including filtering and spectral analysis - Includes simulations of physical experiments - Features applications of statistics to atmospheric physics and radio astronomy - Covers the increasingly important area of modern statistical computing