Comments on: Oh do get it right for once http://www.butterfliesandwheels.org/2007/oh-do-get-it-right-for-once/ Fighting fashionable nonsense Sun, 16 Jun 2013 15:36:51 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.2 By: DFG http://www.butterfliesandwheels.org/2007/oh-do-get-it-right-for-once/#comment-26495 DFG Wed, 27 Jun 2007 13:38:18 +0000 http://www.butterfliesandwheels.org/?p=16124#comment-26495 Interesting understanding of statistics there, OB. Or should it be semantics... Interesting understanding of statistics there, OB. Or should it be semantics…

]]> By: Dave http://www.butterfliesandwheels.org/2007/oh-do-get-it-right-for-once/#comment-26494 Dave Mon, 25 Jun 2007 09:12:58 +0000 http://www.butterfliesandwheels.org/?p=16124#comment-26494 Kiwi: but the problem is that it is NOT taken like this in a cultural atmosphere where very many people would like to believe, frivolously or not, that their group is, in toto, better/smarter/sexier/whatever than another group. Witness all discussions of 'bell curve' race issues. The problem is not that there may be a few points difference in averages, but that the immediate implication is one of whole-group superiority/inferiority. Kiwi: but the problem is that it is NOT taken like this in a cultural atmosphere where very many people would like to believe, frivolously or not, that their group is, in toto, better/smarter/sexier/whatever than another group. Witness all discussions of ‘bell curve’ race issues. The problem is not that there may be a few points difference in averages, but that the immediate implication is one of whole-group superiority/inferiority.

]]> By: Kiwi Dave http://www.butterfliesandwheels.org/2007/oh-do-get-it-right-for-once/#comment-26496 Kiwi Dave Mon, 25 Jun 2007 03:34:54 +0000 http://www.butterfliesandwheels.org/?p=16124#comment-26496 OB, I think your criticism is unfair. I always assume that a brief comparative statement of the kind 'Group X is richer/healthier etc than Group Y' is a statement of averages rather than for all members of a group and think this kind of oversimplification is quite reasonable in headlines and lead sentences. I guess most of your readers do the same. OB, I think your criticism is unfair. I always assume that a brief comparative statement of the kind ‘Group X is richer/healthier etc than Group Y’ is a statement of averages rather than for all members of a group and think this kind of oversimplification is quite reasonable in headlines and lead sentences. I guess most of your readers do the same.

]]> By: OB http://www.butterfliesandwheels.org/2007/oh-do-get-it-right-for-once/#comment-26499 OB Sun, 24 Jun 2007 23:56:35 +0000 http://www.butterfliesandwheels.org/?p=16124#comment-26499 Oh, pox, so it is - how embarrassing. What's more, I think I noticed that when I saw the story on Friday, then forgot it in the meantime. What a dork.<br /> <br /> Well what do they stick two year old stories on their main page for?! They're trying to make me crazy...it's in revenge... Oh, pox, so it is – how embarrassing. What’s more, I think I noticed that when I saw the story on Friday, then forgot it in the meantime. What a dork.

Well what do they stick two year old stories on their main page for?! They’re trying to make me crazy…it’s in revenge…

]]> By: Rowan http://www.butterfliesandwheels.org/2007/oh-do-get-it-right-for-once/#comment-26498 Rowan Sun, 24 Jun 2007 22:18:18 +0000 http://www.butterfliesandwheels.org/?p=16124#comment-26498 Stating that men tend to be both smarter and dumber than women possibly implies that there are two distributions for men, one at the higher end of the scale and one at the lower, whereas women are all clumped in the middle. That's not true either, of course.... Stating that men tend to be both smarter and dumber than women possibly implies that there are two distributions for men, one at the higher end of the scale and one at the lower, whereas women are all clumped in the middle. That’s not true either, of course….

]]> By: Rowan http://www.butterfliesandwheels.org/2007/oh-do-get-it-right-for-once/#comment-26497 Rowan Sun, 24 Jun 2007 22:13:27 +0000 http://www.butterfliesandwheels.org/?p=16124#comment-26497 I really do hate to point this out, OB, but that article is from August 2005 (and you <a href="http://www.butterfliesandwheels.com/notesarchive.php?id=947"target="_blank">commented on it at the time</a>) so the article is perhaps not evidence that it's a mistake people keep making (although no doubt they do....) I really do hate to point this out, OB, but that article is from August 2005 (and you commented on it at the time) so the article is perhaps not evidence that it’s a mistake people keep making (although no doubt they do….)

]]> By: Doug http://www.butterfliesandwheels.org/2007/oh-do-get-it-right-for-once/#comment-26501 Doug Sun, 24 Jun 2007 22:09:17 +0000 http://www.butterfliesandwheels.org/?p=16124#comment-26501 I thought by using "tend," the statement makes it clear that we're talking about individual variation. I thought by using “tend,” the statement makes it clear that we’re talking about individual variation.

]]> By: Doug http://www.butterfliesandwheels.org/2007/oh-do-get-it-right-for-once/#comment-26500 Doug Sun, 24 Jun 2007 22:06:12 +0000 http://www.butterfliesandwheels.org/?p=16124#comment-26500 Never mind the bollocks, here's BJN.<br /> <br /> (Is it bad form to make lame jokes?) Never mind the bollocks, here’s BJN.

(Is it bad form to make lame jokes?)

]]> By: OB http://www.butterfliesandwheels.org/2007/oh-do-get-it-right-for-once/#comment-26504 OB Sun, 24 Jun 2007 22:05:20 +0000 http://www.butterfliesandwheels.org/?p=16124#comment-26504 'Bollocks' not considered bad form at all here. I'd use it more often myself if I didn't feel affected using a UK-ism - but I prefer it to most alternatives.<br /> <br /> "So men tend to be both smarter *and* dumber than women."<br /> <br /> But that's the same wording the BBC used, and I just do think everyone should avoid it, because it's so misleading.<br /> <br /> The flatter curve you're talking about is what Summers was talking about - and as I said here at the time, Andrew Marr paraphrased that as (of course) 'Summers said men are smarter than women'; Steve Pinker corrected him ('that's not what he said') but no one took any notice. ‘Bollocks’ not considered bad form at all here. I’d use it more often myself if I didn’t feel affected using a UK-ism – but I prefer it to most alternatives.

“So men tend to be both smarter *and* dumber than women.”

But that’s the same wording the BBC used, and I just do think everyone should avoid it, because it’s so misleading.

The flatter curve you’re talking about is what Summers was talking about – and as I said here at the time, Andrew Marr paraphrased that as (of course) ‘Summers said men are smarter than women’; Steve Pinker corrected him (‘that’s not what he said’) but no one took any notice.

]]> By: Doug http://www.butterfliesandwheels.org/2007/oh-do-get-it-right-for-once/#comment-26503 Doug Sun, 24 Jun 2007 21:56:20 +0000 http://www.butterfliesandwheels.org/?p=16124#comment-26503 I read a report on an IQ study some time back that said that men and women were on average of about the same level of intelligence, but that the bell curve for women was steeper, with more of them closer to the mean. The curve for men was flatter, with many more of them at the extremes. So men tend to be both smarter *and* dumber than women. I read a report on an IQ study some time back that said that men and women were on average of about the same level of intelligence, but that the bell curve for women was steeper, with more of them closer to the mean. The curve for men was flatter, with many more of them at the extremes. So men tend to be both smarter *and* dumber than women.

]]> By: BJN http://www.butterfliesandwheels.org/2007/oh-do-get-it-right-for-once/#comment-26502 BJN Sun, 24 Jun 2007 21:48:52 +0000 http://www.butterfliesandwheels.org/?p=16124#comment-26502 Along not quite the same lines...<br /> <br /> http://tinyurl.com/39foxn<br /> <br /> <i>Now economist Marco Daniele Paserman has discovered a new twist to this tale of lost nerves: many more women players than men stumble in this way. When it comes to dealing with nerves, the male is steadier than the female - and not just in sport, but in business as well, says Paserman, who works for the Centre for Economic Research.</i><br /> <br /> Bad generalisations from narrow research by the original researcher, which the article does balance by having someone point out one of its logical short comings. <br /> <br /> PS. I was going to use the word 'Bollocks' in this posting, is that considered bad form on B&W? Along not quite the same lines…

http://tinyurl.com/39foxn

Now economist Marco Daniele Paserman has discovered a new twist to this tale of lost nerves: many more women players than men stumble in this way. When it comes to dealing with nerves, the male is steadier than the female – and not just in sport, but in business as well, says Paserman, who works for the Centre for Economic Research.

Bad generalisations from narrow research by the original researcher, which the article does balance by having someone point out one of its logical short comings.

PS. I was going to use the word ‘Bollocks’ in this posting, is that considered bad form on B&W?

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