On Tue, 23 Feb 2021 06:57:16 -0800, Mark Mocho wrote:

"Lies, damned lies, and statistics" (Mark Twain) is a phrase describing
the persuasive power of numbers, particularly the use of statistics to
bolster weak arguments. It is also sometimes colloquially used to doubt
statistics used to prove an opponent's point.

Mark Twain is one of my heroes, along with Stephen Leacock, whose
"Boarding-house Geometry" is a gem.

Otherwise put: don't trust statistics unless you know sample size,
selection criteria and what smoothing algorithm, if any, was applied.


--
Martin | martin at
Gregorie | gregorie dot org