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Example of bad statistics
Message posted by Beth on November 28, 1999 at 12:00 AM (ET)
I need an example of bad statistics, an article or a graph? Please send
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Re: Example of bad statistics
Message posted by JG on November 29, 1999 at 12:00 AM (ET)
Look at 'The data game' by mark H. maier and 'a mathematician reads the newspaper' by john allen paulos, etc. As well as such classics as 'how to lie with statistics'. A good current example is the discussion of prosperity without any discussion of who is benefiting and who is not benefiting. There has been no discussion of why during all this prosperity the prisons are overflowing, there is hunger in the USA as well as massive hunger in the world, etc. Another example is a TV proramme watched by millions and the assuptions that if it can be shown that one of the people watching was induced to commit a crime the effect on the rest of the audience can be ignored. Maybe a thousand were discourage from doing something wrong simply because they were watching TV instead of doing something else, etc.
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