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Author Topic: Maybe I don't understand statistics  (Read 1059 times)

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Offline Annie Subjunctive

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Maybe I don't understand statistics
« on: August 26, 2008, 01:48:23 PM »
I just ran across this article on how Usain Bolt messed up the curve for how fast humans are supposed to run.

Is this really something that statistics is involved in? I realize that they can predict trends, but how is one individual human being constrained at all by mathematical patterns? Someone could be born freakishly strong tomorrow who could run the 100 m in 6 seconds... couldn't they? Isn't that the nature of genetic mutations?
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Offline The Genuine

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Maybe I don't understand statistics
« Reply #1 on: August 26, 2008, 02:23:59 PM »
Pardon my asking, but what does this have to do with English & linguistics?
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Offline Porter

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Maybe I don't understand statistics
« Reply #2 on: August 26, 2008, 02:29:13 PM »
Weird -- I just came from reading that article.

It's pretty pointless, IMO, as is almost everything that includes (or implies) "If present trends continue....".

Present trends never continue.
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