In his book Visual Explanations: Images and Quantities, Evidence and Narrative (1997), Edward R. Tufte tells the heartbreaking story of the Challenger Disaster of 1986, and how he thinks that it could have been prevented with a the help of a better presentation of data. Apparently the scientists involved were aware of the potential O-ring failure responsible for the explosion, but chose to proceed with the expedition anyway. Tufte argues that the way that the data was displayed did not adequately communicate the potential risk, including the fact that the flight crew were listed as data and not people.
I definitely see the benefit of data and statistics, but I think it is ethically essential to be aware of the context, the audience, and the implications of the way that it is presented, especially when the welfare of others is at stake.
References:
Challenger Disaster Live on CNN. (n.d.). Retrieved February 26, 2016, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4JOjcDFtBE
Tufte, E. R. (1997). Visual Explanations: Images and Quantities, Evidence and Narrative. Cheshire, CT: Graphics Press.
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