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That reasoning would only hold if you surveyed the DNA of everyone in that city, which is never the case.
by Estragon 17y ago
That reasoning would only hold if you surveyed the DNA of everyone in that city, which is never the case.
- barrkel 17y agoNo, you don't need to survey everyone in the city. Assume you instituted a DNA search, whereby you went from district to district and tested DNA until you got a match, the chance would still be only 1 in three, under the same assumptions. And government policy here in the UK seems to be to retain the DNA of everyone that comes into contact with the state, so I expect it's only a matter of time until there will be chance collisions resulting in incorrect convictions.
- Estragon 17y agoOK, it only applies if you survey everyone in the city until you get a match. Same difference. Yes, things may be heading in that direction. That was not the original argument, though.
- eru 17y agoAnd if the DNA was every hint you had.