Comments on: Mind Reading: Why Bad Math Can Ruin Your Health http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/2011/09/mind-reading-bad-math-ruin-health/ The official Derren Brown Blog Mon, 07 May 2012 09:24:14 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1 By: John Power http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/2011/09/mind-reading-bad-math-ruin-health/#comment-93365 John Power Wed, 28 Sep 2011 14:24:04 +0000 http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/?p=16996#comment-93365 reminiscent of the saying "Post hoc ergo propter hoc..." reminiscent of the saying “Post hoc ergo propter hoc…”

]]> By: Shaun Banks http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/2011/09/mind-reading-bad-math-ruin-health/#comment-93267 Shaun Banks Mon, 26 Sep 2011 22:04:34 +0000 http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/?p=16996#comment-93267 I love randomness - I love the consistent inconsistency of randomness and the fact that you can always expect the unexpected with randomness. I hate 9 out of 10 statisticians. If I was to calculate the odds of myself contracting a fatal disease based on the the figures provided for all diseases by various medical bodies, news papers and all other sources, I would be have died sometime ago. You have more chance of being Lucky if you except the possibility that you maybe unlucky most of the time. Luck is an absolute certainty that rarely ever happens. I love randomness – I love the consistent inconsistency of randomness and the fact that you can always expect the unexpected with randomness.

I hate 9 out of 10 statisticians.

If I was to calculate the odds of myself contracting a fatal disease based on the the figures provided for all diseases by various medical bodies, news papers and all other sources, I would be have died sometime ago.

You have more chance of being Lucky if you except the possibility that you maybe unlucky most of the time.

Luck is an absolute certainty that rarely ever happens.

]]> By: rosi http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/2011/09/mind-reading-bad-math-ruin-health/#comment-93263 rosi Mon, 26 Sep 2011 21:28:58 +0000 http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/?p=16996#comment-93263 another fallacy is having but not mentioning a third causal link. for example, there is a correlation between the number of drownings and the sale of ice-cream therefore if you eat ice-cream you run a higher risk of drowning. the third factor is obvious in this case, but i have seen such tactics used to suggest links in less obvious situations another fallacy is having but not mentioning a third causal link. for example, there is a correlation between the number of drownings and the sale of ice-cream therefore if you eat ice-cream you run a higher risk of drowning. the third factor is obvious in this case, but i have seen such tactics used to suggest links in less obvious situations

]]> By: Dan http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/2011/09/mind-reading-bad-math-ruin-health/#comment-93075 Dan Fri, 23 Sep 2011 03:56:38 +0000 http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/?p=16996#comment-93075 Forgive me if this was posted already. :) http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2011-09/mind-reading-tech-reconstructs-videos-brain-images Forgive me if this was posted already. :)

http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2011-09/mind-reading-tech-reconstructs-videos-brain-images

]]> By: BlokeyMan http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/2011/09/mind-reading-bad-math-ruin-health/#comment-93067 BlokeyMan Thu, 22 Sep 2011 15:29:35 +0000 http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/?p=16996#comment-93067 The other side of the coin is when discussing something with someone who refuses to believe you, despite argument being backed up by good maths, because they've heard the old adage about lying with statistics. Interesting article recently about using Benford's Law to demonstrate that Greece's recent financial reports are mostly bobbins. (Sorry, don't have the link to hand). The other side of the coin is when discussing something with someone who refuses to believe you, despite argument being backed up by good maths, because they’ve heard the old adage about lying with statistics.

Interesting article recently about using Benford’s Law to demonstrate that Greece’s recent financial reports are mostly bobbins. (Sorry, don’t have the link to hand).

]]> By: David Swallow http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/2011/09/mind-reading-bad-math-ruin-health/#comment-93058 David Swallow Thu, 22 Sep 2011 12:33:55 +0000 http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/?p=16996#comment-93058 Math(s). Math(s).

]]> By: roz http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/2011/09/mind-reading-bad-math-ruin-health/#comment-93057 roz Thu, 22 Sep 2011 12:18:56 +0000 http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/?p=16996#comment-93057 any yank who has ever hadda deal with the IRS (aka the tax man) has experienced this kinda math. as mark twain said, "There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics." however, he lied about that, too...it wasnt really a quote from disraeli, as he claimed. an inneresting history of this phrase may be found here: http://www.york.ac.uk/depts/maths/histstat/lies.htm (and dont get all huffy about mark twain's honor...he was a notorious fabricator. but at least it wasnt "truthiness"--just outright made up!) LH&S, roz any yank who has ever hadda deal with the IRS (aka the tax man) has experienced this kinda math. as mark twain said, “There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics.”

however, he lied about that, too…it wasnt really a quote from disraeli, as he claimed. an inneresting history of this phrase may be found here: http://www.york.ac.uk/depts/maths/histstat/lies.htm

(and dont get all huffy about mark twain’s honor…he was a notorious fabricator. but at least it wasnt “truthiness”–just outright made up!)

LH&S, roz

]]> By: Matt Whitby http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/2011/09/mind-reading-bad-math-ruin-health/#comment-93053 Matt Whitby Thu, 22 Sep 2011 08:06:44 +0000 http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/?p=16996#comment-93053 Proofiness? Tsk, someone else appropriating a play on Colbert's word "Truthiness". Proofiness? Tsk, someone else appropriating a play on Colbert’s word “Truthiness”.

]]>