Statistics

[lionkingcmsl]

While driving around today I thought of a nonsensical statistic that is true:
Research has shown that 100% of people that watch television die.

Well, in a sense it is true, but it is misleading, as everyone will shuffle off this mortal coil eventually. But a person hearing that might assume that if they don't watch TV they won't die.

Yet if you listen to ads for medical procedures, medicines, and etc. you get the same misleading statistics.
If you don't take their product or service you will die. The fallacy in that is even if you do as they say you will still die, though maybe not from what was ailing you. The spin they put on it makes it sound like you will become immortal or something.

Just this lion's musings while driving today in NYC.

Comments

[sci.livejournal.com]

99.8% of serial killers have eaten toast.

[lowen-kind.livejournal.com]

And 100% of them have drunk DHMO! :=3

[torakiyoshi.livejournal.com]

Ha! Immortal tiger for the win! :D

Of course, there is a bit of a problem with that. If you live in America, you've watched TV somewhere. You can't not. Walk into the welfare office, and there's a TV. Sit in a restaurant: TV. In some cities, driving down the road, there's a TV on the side of a building. EVERYONE in America has watched at least a little TV, with the possible exception of a few secluded mennonite tribes.

[smrgol-t-kirin.livejournal.com]

Studies also show that 42.7% of all statistics are made up numbers and have no connection to reality.