What's your favourite 'dubious' statistic??

I always chuckle at one that does the rounds every few years, about the need to drink more:

“87% of Americans are chronically dehydrated”..

Chuckle..Pointless and unfounded!

Yours?

DrP

Every statistic about education. No matter from whom.

92% of all statistics are invented.

Mackem beat me to it.

The Telegraph’s claim that there were ”Only 100 Cod Left in the North Sea”

They’ve added a note at the bottom of their web edition, correcting themselves and that by ‘100’, they meant ’21 million’. A more realistic figure is actually ‘half a billion’.

The problem isn’t statistics it the reporting of statistics. Papers report the end figure of a study without being clear (or bothering to find out) what was actually being studied. The basis of Cameron’s ‘Broken Britain’ campaign was statistics like “1 in 4 children in the UK had committed a violent crime”. The figure, complete with a picture of a hooded youth ended up on the cover of Time Magaazine. What non of the news coverage carried was what question was being asked to get that answer. The question was ‘Have you ever hit, shoved or knocked someone over with the result that they got hurt?’

4 out of 5 land rovers ever made are still on the road ……

often quoted on car programs regarding the land rover.

utter tosh.

although there are more series land rovers around than there are vauxhall novas 😀

9 out of 10 people enjoy a gang rape

“People can come up with statistics to prove anything. 14% of people know that”.
Homer J Simpson

Niiiick…. 😕

DrP

I love this. It’s the same ‘statistic’ expressed in a number of different ways. Some sound a lot scarier than others but it all means the same.

“They’ve done studies, you know. 60% of the time it works, every time”

Bonus points if you can guess the character and film (really isn’t hard).

I’m 120% committed to this project.

“87% of Americans are chronically dehydrated”..

On which note, I was reminded of this the other day – which made me chuckle.
http://www.bmj.com/content/341/bmj.c6761

“They’ve done studies, you know. 60% of the time it works, every time”

Bonus points if you can guess the character and film (really isn’t hard).

23% of film quotes are actually from Anchorman. 😉

6 out of 7 dwarves aren’t Happy (but only 1 is actually Grumpy) 😉

Giving 110%

😆

Giving 110%

slight hi-jack (and genuine question) is that a statistic?

1 in 10 accidents are caused by drunk drivers, so 9 out of 10 are caused by sober drivers !

The vast majority of people have more than than average number of legs

Not stats per se but I love those little nuggets that have passed into Lore;

Coffee dehydrates you, you lose heat through your head. and so on

Complete bollards, but repeated so often they’ve become ‘facts’

They’ve done studies, you know. 60% of the time, it works every time.

those little nuggets that have passed into Lore

Like the fact that a pint of cider is one of your 5 a day?

you lose heat through your head

do you not then?

those little nuggets that have passed into Lore

Over-egging the merits of the health benefits of Guinness…
“Sorry sir, you’re in fact an alcoholic, not a health freak” doesn’t get received so well!!

DrP

If you like your statistics being debunked have a listen to Radio 4s More Or Less.

only 60% of French people own a toothbrush
85% of Swiss men have had a homosexual experience
And Swiss German is a dialect of German, much like Dutch (not a statistic as such, but winds the Ditch up no end …)

Giving 110%

I think this is acceptable. It’s just a way of emphasising your commitment to something or somebody, like saying ‘I’d go to the moon and back for you’ or ‘I’d give my right arm for a cup of tea right now’

You’d struggle to drink it though (Lefty weirdos aside)

maccruiskeen – Member

The Telegraph’s claim that there were “Only 100 Cod Left in the North Sea”

They’ve added a note at the bottom of their web edition, correcting themselves and that by ‘100’, they meant ’21 million’. A more realistic figure is actually ‘half a billion’.

I think you’ve misunderstood, the headline is sensationalist, but in the body it is clear the 100 figure refers to cod over 13 years old, the correction at the bottom doesn’t dispute that figure.

“there are a small number of cod over the age of 12 years old which has always been the case in the North Sea

The use of “fastest growing”, often associated with a new sport. I’ve just invented drunken screwdriver fencing, I told my mate about it and now it’s the worlds fastest growing sport, having increased 100% in 2 seconds. At this rate everyone on earth will be playing it in just over a minute.

That 2 billion people watched the royal wedding worldwide. Utter nonsense but widely reported.

I think this is acceptable. It’s just a way of emphasising your commitment to something or somebody, like saying ‘I’d go to the moon and back for you’ or ‘I’d give my right arm for a cup of tea right now’

I like that! Ooh, that’s one less thing in the world that is going to annoy me now. So, thanks! 😀

The average number of legs is less than 2

Both true and yet so obviously misleading
It shows why you also need to look at more than the statistic

If you buy your lottery ticket on Monday you are more likely to die before the draw than win it

The “93% of communication is non-verbal” rubbish, based on a study which says nothing of the sort, whose author has gone on the record saying it has been taken out of context.

Yet still it is trotted out by every moronic power-dressed communication and management consultant… at which point I interrupt, point out to them (verbally) how they have it wrong and walk out (non-verbally). 👿

If you buy your lottery ticket on Monday you are more likely to die before the draw than win it

I am never going to buy a lottery ticket again. The kill people!!!

😉

The average number of legs is less than 2

You need to specify which average 😉

I think you know what I mean

IGMC

..and of which species…!!

I think stats CAN be quite interesting, and enjoy discussing it with patients.

I always use the analogy (and others, feel free to borrow it) of the “DrP lightening conductor helmet(TM)”:
-if I were to offer you a huge, cumbersome metal helmet that you wore day in/day out, that would guarantee to reduce your chance of being struck fatally by lightening by 10,000%, would you wear it??

😉

DrP

If you buy your lottery ticket on Monday you are more likely to die before the draw than win it

Don’t buy it on a Monday then

4 out of 5 land rovers ever made are still on the road

1 in 5 have successfully made it back home

“If you do not fart at least 28 times a day, you are unhealthy”

Heard this in secondary school, and have always quoted this when trumping.