>> 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*

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