We identify the scattering equations from particle physics as the likelihood equations for a particular statistical model. The scattering potential plays the role of the log-likelihood function. We employ recent methods from numerical algebraic geometry for solving rational function equations to compute and certify all solutions. We revisit the theory of stringy canonical forms proposed by Arkani-Hamed, He and Lam, introducing positive statistical models and their string amplitudes. This is joint work with Bernd Sturmfels.