X-Message-Number: 19422
Date: Mon, 08 Jul 2002 09:56:34 +0000
From: Kennita Watson <>
Subject: Re: David Stodolsky and the Teacher's Uniom
References: <>

> So, overall, this group could be considered among the most highly educated
> and socially conscious persons in Denmark.


That doesn't necessarily make them representative...


>>number. To put it another way, out of 30 million people there will
>>be 1 million who want life prolongation, even at the age of 30.


... and certainly no more representative than any group
of 30 is of a population of 30 million.  I'd expect some
statisticians in the group to call this one on standard
deviation alone (assuming a flip-the-coin choice, what is
the standard deviation in the number of heads in a series
of 30 coin tosses?  Less than one?  Less than one one-
millionth?),  and some psychologists to call it on
group dynamics, lack of information, lack of time to
reflect, lack of consideration of at-the-moment
psychological state, etc.

Then again, I ought not be surprised; only one person
raised their hand in that room, and there might be any
number of reasons why I'm the only one who's questioned
the statistical significance of that hand-raising.
I evidence some of them by not wanting to go into the
matter further -- I have a life.

-- 
May you live long and prosper,
Kennita
--
Kennita Watson          | Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery;
     |   None but ourselves can free our minds.
http://www.kennita.com  |           -- Bob Marley, "Redemption Song"

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