Data analysis in high energy physics, weird or wonderful

I set the scene by outlining the history of SLAC, evolving from a single-purpose high energy physics laboratory, to a laboratory with major strengths in high energy physics (HEP), astronomy, astrophysics and cosmology, plus photon science. I describe the quantum mechanical origins of the statistical challenges in HEP, and how the science has evolved inevitably to require high-energy collisions, huge detectors and painful quantities of data. I follow the evolution and devolution of data-analysis strategies over several decades, looking closely at how technology evolution has influenced analysis strategies and at the demand for vast increases in the random-access performance of storage. Finally I examine cultural and technical contrast that I have observed between HEP computing, computing for astronomy and computing for photon science.