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> Using Erdos as a 'plausible example' of the positive effects of drug use is fallacious, because it's a statistic with N = 1. Um, a "statistic with N = 1" is
by jemfinch 16y ago
> Using Erdos as a 'plausible example' of the positive effects of drug use is fallacious, because it's a statistic with N = 1.
Um, a "statistic with N = 1" is exactly what an "example" is.
- Confusion 16y agoYeah, but the plausibility of the example is quite small, due to the often found side-effect of reduction of creativity. As an aside, you could argue that an example is one instance from a larger set, where N >> 1 and where the other instances lend credibility to the reported example. Erdos's story, on the other hand, would be anecdotal evidence, not supported by any other similar story.