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The average person (vax or anti-vax) will read this to the end, maybe even understand the numbers but then think "well, but half of COVID deaths are among the v

The average person (vax or anti-vax) will read this to the end, maybe even understand the numbers but then think "well, but half of COVID deaths are among the vaccinated". 90% of people know that Stats is the hardest math there is and the other 15% don't get it.

lmilcin 5y ago
These days you can't rely even on scientists to interpret results correctly. I see interpretation problems almost every other paper I read that has any non trivial research that involves statistics. Vast majority of people are functional illiterates when it comes to statistics. How you present statistics is more important than what the data actually says.
- admax88qqq 5y ago
  Fun fact, you probably never could rely on scientists to interpret results correctly.
  - scythe 5y ago
    This is absolutely correct; look up Feynman's parable about the oil drop experiment, for example.
GDC7 5y ago
Not knowing statistics is a form of protection against depression, sadness and anxiety. Gotta thank god that the majority of people believe bad stuff doesn't apply to them. It's a burden for few. If you want to see society collapse just improve the literacy in statistics
- Der_Einzige 5y ago
  Correct. The famous saying that "ignorance is bliss" is what comes to mind here.
- rsynnott 5y ago
  > Not knowing statistics is a form of protection against depression, sadness and anxiety. Hrm, I'd have thought the opposite. A lot of the things that many people spend a lot of time worrying about are really vanishingly unlikely.
  - GDC7 5y ago
    Unlikely thing causing no damage is no source of concern unlikely things which cause tremendous damage are for sure cause of concern because it only needs to happen once and it’s game over for the person/group/entity which find themselves at the receiving end of that
Arainach 5y ago
>90% of people know that Stats is the hardest math there is and the other 15% don't get it. I feel like this is a joke that I'm not understanding?
- zwieback 5y ago
  Yeah, sorry, doesn't add up to 100, that's the whole joke.

lmilcin 5y ago

These days you can't rely even on scientists to interpret results correctly. I see interpretation problems almost every other paper I read that has any non trivial research that involves statistics. Vast majority of people are functional illiterates when it comes to statistics. How you present statistics is more important than what the data actually says.

admax88qqq 5y ago
Fun fact, you probably never could rely on scientists to interpret results correctly.
- scythe 5y ago
  This is absolutely correct; look up Feynman's parable about the oil drop experiment, for example.

GDC7 5y ago

Not knowing statistics is a form of protection against depression, sadness and anxiety. Gotta thank god that the majority of people believe bad stuff doesn't apply to them. It's a burden for few. If you want to see society collapse just improve the literacy in statistics

Der_Einzige 5y ago
Correct. The famous saying that "ignorance is bliss" is what comes to mind here.
rsynnott 5y ago
> Not knowing statistics is a form of protection against depression, sadness and anxiety. Hrm, I'd have thought the opposite. A lot of the things that many people spend a lot of time worrying about are really vanishingly unlikely.
- GDC7 5y ago
  Unlikely thing causing no damage is no source of concern unlikely things which cause tremendous damage are for sure cause of concern because it only needs to happen once and it’s game over for the person/group/entity which find themselves at the receiving end of that

Arainach 5y ago

>90% of people know that Stats is the hardest math there is and the other 15% don't get it. I feel like this is a joke that I'm not understanding?

zwieback 5y ago
Yeah, sorry, doesn't add up to 100, that's the whole joke.