In economic research, a tiny statistical difference can have outsized consequences. Usually denoted with a star (or asterisks), that symbol serves as a quality stamp on one's research, and the absence or presence of that star can sometimes make or break a career by influencing publication prospects—or even determining who gets hired. Lamis Kattan, an Assistant Professor of Economics at Georgetown University in Qatar, has spent the early years of her career scrutinizing the machinery behind statistical significance. Her findings suggest that the power of the star has become a ...