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Most people are weak on statistical analysis. The fossil media is almost entirely staffed by innumerate lefties with ‘degrees’ in ‘media studies’, ‘journalism’ and other non-science-based ‘disciplines’.

Statistics is not an easy subject! It is riddled with complex ‘philosophical’ difficulties.

All fossil media attempts at using statistics should be treated with a very long spoon. Almost all politicians and political systems selectively quote statistics, and regularly change definitions to promote their own careers and to get votes from the innumerate electorate.

“The U.S.’ infant mortality rate is not higher; the rates of Canada and many European countries are artificially low, due to more restrictive definitions of live birth. There also are variations in the willingness of nations to save very low birth weight and gestation babies.

“The ethnic heterogeneity of the U.S. works against it because different ethnic and cultural groups may have widely different risk factors and genetic predispositions.

“Definitions of a live birth, and therefore which babies are counted in the infant mortality statistics very considerably. The U.S. uses the full WHO definition, while Germany omits one of the four criteria. The U.K. defines a still birth “a child which has issued forth from its mother after the twenty-fourth week of pregnancy and which did not at any time after being completely expelled from its mother breathe or show any other signs of life.”

“This leaves what constitutes a sign of life open and places those born before 24 weeks in a gray area. Canada uses the complete WHO definition but struggles with tens of thousands of missing birth records and increasing numbers of mothers sent to the U.S. for care. France requires “a medical certificate [that] attests that the child was born ‘alive and viable’” for baby who died soon after birth to be counted, which may be difficult to obtain.”

Other problems apply to mortality statistics.

related material
a comparison between international health services
‘intelligence’: misuse and abuse of statistics
cause, chance and Bayesian statistics

the web address for the article above is
https://www.abelard.org/news/behaviour022012.php#infant_mortality_170312

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“atheism is nothing but a non-belief in god”

modern scientists and god

Richard Dawkins believes god evolved, before the big bang. Or will god evolve before the next big bang in order to instigate the next big bang?

Dawkins is a capable populariser of evolutionary theory, but he’s a complete dork as a theologian.

You might as well go to the Spice Girls for their ‘opinions’ on economic theory.

Why isn’t atheism nothing but being a non-believer in carpet cleaner, of even a non-belief in unicorns? Stephen Hawking goes on about unicorns in black holes.

It’s amazing the way these ‘scientists’ believe they have a handle on god. It is always a god that arises from their own science.

Einstein told us god did not play dice - because he was heavily into causation.
Planck said god was field force - because he was heavily into field forces.

What is common is that god is the expression of these people’s ego.

No entity can encompass the nature of a higher entity, any more that a cat can encompass my being, or a bacterium could encompass the being of a caterpillar!

If you want theology you would be far better going to a capable theologian, not to Dawkins!

the web address for the article above is
https://www.abelard.org/news/behaviour022012.php#atheists_and_god_220212

socialism in government cartel ‘schools’

Read the item and understand what is wrong with Britain and socialism.

“No wonder Michael looks stunned and bewildered. He is trying to get an A and the person who he thinks is employed to help him get it first says that his results are of no concern to anyone else, then quickly corrects himself before rolling out one of the great canards of the post-1960s anti-aspirational progressive experiment in education. Going to Bangor with three Cs equals happiness. Going to Cambridge could be hateful. His statement is delivered as though Michael, young and impressionable, has a binary choice. But what about mentioning another more exciting possibility: That he might go to Cambridge and love it?”
—
“Again, hold on. Michael has got the answer wrong. His teacher looks at him, presumably reassuringly, and Michael smiles. What has he been taught here? That it’s ok to get the answer wrong. Relax, and go to Bangor.

“By the time I had read Griffiths piece twice I was angry. And then, later, it just depressed the hell out of me.”

related material
socialist religions

the web address for the article above is
https://www.abelard.org/news/behaviour022012.php#socialist_non_education_190212

is ahminastraightjacketorshouldbe a new hitler or a new mao or a new khruschev?

“History is an imperfect teacher. The lessons from events of the past often contradict one another, leaving policymakers the challenge of deciding which ones are most relevant to the issues of today.

“That challenge lies at the heart of the debate over what to do about Iran’s quest for nuclear weaponry.

“On that issue, history offers conflicting lessons that derive from two earth-shaking events of the last century.”

related material
the psychology and development of Adolph Hitler Schicklgruber
socialist religions

the web address for the article above is
https://www.abelard.org/news/behaviour022012.php#irans_dictator_13022012

latest un security council meeting - excuses, lunacy and honour

Fascinating to hear the various justifications for continuing murder on the streets of Syria and to contrast these with one of the proposers of this draft resolution.

“The situation in the Middle East (Syria) - Security Council Meeting
04 February 2012

“6711th meeting of the Security Council on the situation in the Middle East (Syria)

“Security Council fails to adopt draft resolution on Syria as Russian Federation, China veto text supporting Arab League’s proposed peace plan (Press Release)”

1:35:02 long

the web address for the article above is
https://www.abelard.org/news/behaviour122012.php#un_security_council_050212

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© abelard, 2012, 05 february
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