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" Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=19422