|
![](/i/fill.gif) |
>> How can you be sure it's accurate? Maybe it says that there are 20,000
>> people in city X, but actually only 50% of the population replied. (Or
>> something.)
>>
>> Sure, you have birth certificates and death certificates, but again,
>> how do we know those cover *everybody*? (Surely it must be pretty
>> comprehensive, but totally? Hmm.)
>
> People know they are not counting everyone so they also estimate how
> many they missed. I leave that one as an exercise to the reader.
Hmm. Looks unsolvable...
>>>> I still like Warp's "grains of rice" example. (If only I could
>>>> remember who the hell it was about...)
>>>
>>> Is that the one where you put one gain of rice in a corner of a
>>> chessboard and double it on the next square? until you have 2^63 at
>>> the last one?
>>
>> Yeah, that one.
>
> Then it is nor Warp's but slightly older, assuming that Warp is as old
> as he claims and not one of the secret millennium old persons.
Well no, but he mentioned it most recently. ;-)
(I actually read about it originally from Simon Singh...)
>> Ah. So you mean, by telling somebody something you're assumed to be
>> implying that it will happen in an unusual way? (E.g., "soon".)
>
> In most cases, yes. In your case it may simple serve as a form of self
> mutilation by proxy.
You may have something there...
--
http://blog.orphi.me.uk/
http://www.zazzle.com/MathematicalOrchid*
Post a reply to this message
|
![](/i/fill.gif) |