Comments on: The meaning of means http://blog.prospectblogs.com/2007/08/23/the-meaning-of-means/ Fri, 21 Nov 2008 06:19:28 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: Daniel Taghioff http://blog.prospectblogs.com/2007/08/23/the-meaning-of-means/#comment-1857 Daniel Taghioff Tue, 28 Aug 2007 02:53:21 +0000 http://blog.prospectblogs.com/2007/08/23/the-meaning-of-means/#comment-1857 John Edwards, a contender of sorts for the Democratic primaries, thinks that means is more than a mathematical formula: http://www.alternet.org/story/60748/ David Goodheart is thinking along the same lines in this issue. The Guardian reports on record city bonuses, yet again. http://business.guardian.co.uk/story/0,,2157247,00.html It seems that economism is reaching its own logical outcome, which is now so obviously extreme and grotesque. Perhaps there is a growing awareness that livelihoods are more than just an equation. One would hope so, since we are entering a period (i.e the next few decades and onwards)where mass starvation, due to climate change and fresh-water shortages, is becoming a real possibility once again. Do we know what that means? John Edwards, a contender of sorts for the Democratic primaries, thinks that means is more than a mathematical formula:

http://www.alternet.org/story/60748/

David Goodheart is thinking along the same lines in this issue.

The Guardian reports on record city bonuses, yet again.

http://business.guardian.co.uk/story/0,,2157247,00.html

It seems that economism is reaching its own logical outcome, which is now so obviously extreme and grotesque.

Perhaps there is a growing awareness that livelihoods are more than just an equation.

One would hope so, since we are entering a period (i.e the next few decades and onwards)where mass starvation, due to climate change and fresh-water shortages, is becoming a real possibility once again.

Do we know what that means?

]]> By: dearieme http://blog.prospectblogs.com/2007/08/23/the-meaning-of-means/#comment-1820 dearieme Fri, 24 Aug 2007 20:14:50 +0000 http://blog.prospectblogs.com/2007/08/23/the-meaning-of-means/#comment-1820 It is customary to observe that almost eveyone you meet has more than the average number of feet. It is customary to observe that almost eveyone you meet has more than the average number of feet.

]]> By: GoodGrief http://blog.prospectblogs.com/2007/08/23/the-meaning-of-means/#comment-1814 GoodGrief Fri, 24 Aug 2007 09:12:19 +0000 http://blog.prospectblogs.com/2007/08/23/the-meaning-of-means/#comment-1814 Sure, but median is not "middle value". The median relates to the value at the middle of the ordered sample. There has to be an actual sample. And a sufficiently large randomly sampled population will with very high confidence deliver the median as two. This (as with most statistics) is not complicated -- I fear the book you cite has not been very clear. Sure, but median is not “middle value”. The median relates to the value at the middle of the ordered sample. There has to be an actual sample. And a sufficiently large randomly sampled population will with very high confidence deliver the median as two. This (as with most statistics) is not complicated — I fear the book you cite has not been very clear.

]]> By: Tom Chatfield http://blog.prospectblogs.com/2007/08/23/the-meaning-of-means/#comment-1797 Tom Chatfield Thu, 23 Aug 2007 16:31:07 +0000 http://blog.prospectblogs.com/2007/08/23/the-meaning-of-means/#comment-1797 True enough! The median of almost any population sample will of course be a two-footed person. What I meant, I think, was that the median value for the individual statistic "number of feet" in any population can be said to be one, because this statistic only has three values: zero, one or two. Which is rather different from the median number of feet in a population being one. And rather less interesting… True enough! The median of almost any population sample will of course be a two-footed person.

What I meant, I think, was that the median value for the individual statistic “number of feet” in any population can be said to be one, because this statistic only has three values: zero, one or two.

Which is rather different from the median number of feet in a population being one. And rather less interesting…

]]> By: GoodGrief http://blog.prospectblogs.com/2007/08/23/the-meaning-of-means/#comment-1796 GoodGrief Thu, 23 Aug 2007 16:03:03 +0000 http://blog.prospectblogs.com/2007/08/23/the-meaning-of-means/#comment-1796 Are you suggesting that over half the population are one-footed hoppers? I think you'll find the median number of feet will (almost everywhere) be two. Perhaps your use of the analogy of a procession of the world's population biases the median by the fact that they'd need to stand, hop or sit. Are you suggesting that over half the population are one-footed hoppers? I think you’ll find the median number of feet will (almost everywhere) be two. Perhaps your use of the analogy of a procession of the world’s population biases the median by the fact that they’d need to stand, hop or sit.

]]>