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  1. #221
    I Don't Work Here Endus's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Varabently View Post
    The average person thinks that it's more likely to flip a coin 10 times and get 5 heads 5 tails than to flip a coin 10 times and get 10 tails. That's simply not true. Each of those results is equally likely.
    Nitpick; this is true if you flip it and get 5 heads in a row and then 5 tails in a row.

    Any specific sequence of heads/tails has the same probability as any other, but there are more sequences with 5 heads and 5 tails than there are with 10 tails, if the order isn't important.

    Getting HHHHHTTTTT is just as likely as TTTTTTTTTT. But you can also get HTHTHTHTHT or HTTHHTHTHT and so on.


  2. #222
    Quote Originally Posted by Varabently View Post
    The average person thinks that it's more likely to flip a coin 10 times and get 5 heads 5 tails than to flip a coin 10 times and get 10 tails. That's simply not true. Each of those results is equally likely. The chances of getting a specific series of heads or tails ten times is just .5^10. They aren't both equally representative of what we know to be the probability of a heads vs a tails (50:50), but that's irrelevant. Edit: I should correct this since 5 heads and 5 tails doesn't indicate a specific series of them, but rather the end result, whereas 10 tails is a specific series. Let's say 1 head 1 tails 1 head 1 tails, etc. That has the same probability as 10 tails in a row.
    It feels like you're comparing apples and oranges. The chance of getting 10 heads (or tails) in a row is (1/2)^10, as you said. That's the same chance of getting 5 heads and 5 tails in a specific order.

    That's a distinctly different question than asking if you're more likely to get 10 heads or 5 heads/5 tails irrespective of order.
    Quote Originally Posted by Zantos View Post
    There are no 2 species that are 100% identical.
    Quote Originally Posted by Redditor
    can you leftist twits just fucking admit that quantum mechanics has fuck all to do with thermodynamics, that shit is just a pose?

  3. #223
    Quote Originally Posted by Endus View Post

    The latter. That's how the system already works.

    When people say "teachers are impossible to fire", what they mean is "I complained about my kid getting a bad grade/kid hates their teacher, and the teacher didn't get fired". That's because they're a single data point, and likely the only people complaining, meaning it isn't even remotely close to reason to fire the teacher. There's plenty of circumstances that can get a teacher fired, it's just that your child not liking them isn't one of them.
    I don't know where you teach, but in the states, teachers' tenure is one of the hardest things to break imaginable.

    The only reason I have EVER seen or even HEARD of a teacher getting fired... EVER... FOR ANY NON-CRIMINAL REASON is when our governor froze school funding and the teachers refused to agree to a pay freeze. There was simply no money to employ them.

    That's it. Never in my entire life have I heard of a teacher ANYWHERE in this entire country being fired for incompetence, sloth or any number of things that would NEVER be permitted under a private system.

    My friend works as a guidance counselor. He brags about how they do nothing on Fridays. How they can retire at 50. How ridiculously cushy the job is once he's tenured. The only thing it does is ensure my support for Christie every time he mounts more teachers' heads on pikes.

  4. #224
    Deleted
    Quote Originally Posted by Laize View Post
    Some things are just common sense that you learn in 6th grade science.

    For instance, I don't need to know about the water cycle... but I know about it. I haven't learned a thing about weather since like 7th grade.... but I still know rain comes from water that evaporated from the ocean and other bodies of water.

    I know the Moon orbits the Earth, the Earth orbits the Sun and we are the 3rd of 8(9?) planets in our Solar System with the 4 rocky inner planets separated from the outer gas giants by an asteroid belt.
    I don't see what any of that has to do with more people knowing about any of those things, including the topic of the thread. There's some, albeit very little sense in avoiding retaining information that isn't required for you to function on a day-to-day basis. Many people don't value information that has no relevance to them or their daily function.

    I'm not one of those people but I know a number of people that don't know or are unaware of certain facts and I really don't see it as an issue. I attended a dinner party recently where I happened to find out that one of my friends didn't know Belgians didn't speak 'Belgium'. She has an outstanding academic record, a PhD and several published papers in her field (Psychotherapy). She's incredibly successful. (This is one of a number of times this sort of thing has happened).

    TL;dr
    I think it's a pretty cheap shot to assume that people that aren't necessarily aware of these sorts of facts are inferior in any way, and a subject for name-calling and piss-taking. Unless they're unwilling to listen and learn once they've been corrected, I wouldn't think less of them.

  5. #225
    Quote Originally Posted by Pencil View Post
    I don't see what any of that has to do with more people knowing about any of those things, including the topic of the thread. There's some, albeit very little sense in avoiding retaining information that isn't required for you to function on a day-to-day basis. Many people don't value information that has no relevance to them or their daily function.

    I'm not one of those people but I know a number of people that don't know or are unaware of certain facts and I really don't see it as an issue. I attended a dinner party recently where I happened to find out that one of my friends didn't know Belgians didn't speak 'Belgium'. She has an outstanding academic record, a PhD and several published papers in her field (Psychotherapy). She's incredibly successful. (This is one of a number of times this sort of thing has happened).

    TL;dr
    I think it's a pretty cheap shot to assume that people that aren't necessarily aware of these sorts of facts are inferior in any way, and a subject for name-calling and piss-taking. Unless they're unwilling to listen and learn once they've been corrected, I wouldn't think less of them.
    Are you kidding me?

    If I ever met someone like this woman I would be absolutely aghast as the atrocious failure of our school systems.


  6. #226
    Quote Originally Posted by Varabently View Post
    How many people did you know in high school who really enjoyed science and math classes? Or any classes for that matter?
    That's part of it. The other major problem with math and science is you have to remember many different facts and be able to put them together to solve a problem. That takes effort that most students can do but don't want to bother with it or are focused on other areas.

    - - - Updated - - -

    Quote Originally Posted by Pencil View Post
    I think it's a pretty cheap shot to assume that people that aren't necessarily aware of these sorts of facts are inferior in any way, and a subject for name-calling and piss-taking. Unless they're unwilling to listen and learn once they've been corrected, I wouldn't think less of them.
    Not knowing random trivia is not the same as not knowing basic science or the scientific method. One is needed to win a game the other is the basis of our modern society. Also, one doesn't allow idiots get elected to public office.

  7. #227
    I Don't Work Here Endus's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Laize View Post
    I don't know where you teach, but in the states, teachers' tenure is one of the hardest things to break imaginable.

    The only reason I have EVER seen or even HEARD of a teacher getting fired... EVER... FOR ANY NON-CRIMINAL REASON is when our governor froze school funding and the teachers refused to agree to a pay freeze. There was simply no money to employ them.
    http://voices.washingtonpost.com/sec...eacher_in.html

    Student teacher was denied her degree because she posted a picture of herself with a red solo cup and a pirate hat to her Myspace, captioned "drunken pirate".

    http://www.babble.com/mom/facebook-f...nd-gets-fired/

    Teacher fired because she posted a photo to her Facebook where her fiancee touches her breast.

    Plus the myriad cases of teachers fired for lingerie/bikini/nude modeling, and so on, which isn't in any way criminal, such as
    http://blog.zap2it.com/pop2it/2013/0...-modeling.html
    and
    http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/u...weese/3001085/ (autoplay video, sorry)
    and
    http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2013/12...ics-go-online/

    And this is just focusing on the "women fired for 'naughty' pictures" demographic, and just the cases that made national news and thus popped up immediately on Google.

    It isn't hard to get a teacher fired. If you haven't heard of teachers getting fired, it's because you haven't been paying attention, it happens all the time. The thing is, they don't get fired because someone's kid whines about them being bad/hard/whatever. Which is as it should be.


  8. #228
    Merely a Setback Kaleredar's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Laize View Post
    I'm sure those people justified their ignorance with "Well it doesn't affect my daily life".

    It's the same fucking thing everywhere. "Oh I don't have to know X, it doesn't affect my everyday life."

    I don't get how people can be so content being ignorant pustules of humanity.
    Oh please. What you think is ignorant to not know is what someone else deems completely irrelevant and vice versa.

    Being able to birth a cow when it's coming out backwards is a lot more relevant to a lot more people than knowing whether the sun goes around the earth or the earth around the sun. I'd assume most people on MMO champion know the answer to the latter but wouldn't have the damndest clue about the former.
    “Do not lose time on daily trivialities. Do not dwell on petty detail. For all of these things melt away and drift apart within the obscure traffic of time. Live well and live broadly. You are alive and living now. Now is the envy of all of the dead.” ~ Emily3, World of Tomorrow
    Quote Originally Posted by Wells View Post
    Kaleredar is right...
    Words to live by.

  9. #229
    While there are adults who do, indeed, believe the earth is at the center of the universe and everything orbits it, we must also take a look at the question asked:
    "Does the sun go around the earth in 24 hours?'

    The question implies that it is about the time, and especially the time a day takes. Less observant people will fall for it even if they are fully aware of, and agree with, the heliocentric model of our solar system. Basically, without thinking about it, they forgive the phrasing of the sun going around the earth without thinking about it, just like they forgive the phrasing of 'the sun coming up' or 'going down' without thinking about it. They know that phrasing is incorrect, but it's so common they'll simply not pay attention to it.

    I personally think most people who answered 'yes' to this question do believe that the heliocentric model is correct. They just answered wrong.

    Quote Originally Posted by Kaleredar View Post
    Oh please. What you think is ignorant to not know is what someone else deems completely irrelevant and vice versa.

    Being able to birth a cow when it's coming out backwards is a lot more relevant to a lot more people than knowing whether the sun goes around the earth or the earth around the sun. I'd assume most people on MMO champion know the answer to the latter but wouldn't have the damndest clue about the former.
    Well; that depends. If your prime income is from livestock, then maybe. However, the heliocentric model does explain things about our seasons.
    Aside from that, the heliocentric model is common knowledge. It's one of those basic things. It's like knowing what a table is. What to do when a calf is stuck backwards is highly specialized knowledge. The two kinds of knowledge are not comparable at all.

    I know about game balance and creating non-restrictive synergies. It's my professional understanding. You don't need to know anything about that. But both of us will, at some point, be confronted with rain, and both of us probably know how it happens.
    Last edited by Stir; 2014-02-19 at 11:51 AM.

  10. #230
    Could we change the thread title to "Many Americans still think (etc)?" Lest we should all be tarred with the same brush, so to speak

    Chillx guys, I'm only half serious.

  11. #231
    Quote Originally Posted by Endus View Post
    http://voices.washingtonpost.com/sec...eacher_in.html

    Student teacher was denied her degree because she posted a picture of herself with a red solo cup and a pirate hat to her Myspace, captioned "drunken pirate".

    http://www.babble.com/mom/facebook-f...nd-gets-fired/

    Teacher fired because she posted a photo to her Facebook where her fiancee touches her breast.

    Plus the myriad cases of teachers fired for lingerie/bikini/nude modeling, and so on, which isn't in any way criminal, such as
    http://blog.zap2it.com/pop2it/2013/0...-modeling.html
    and
    http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/u...weese/3001085/ (autoplay video, sorry)
    and
    http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2013/12...ics-go-online/

    And this is just focusing on the "women fired for 'naughty' pictures" demographic, and just the cases that made national news and thus popped up immediately on Google.

    It isn't hard to get a teacher fired. If you haven't heard of teachers getting fired, it's because you haven't been paying attention, it happens all the time. The thing is, they don't get fired because someone's kid whines about them being bad/hard/whatever. Which is as it should be.
    How many of these teachers were tenured? Prior to that (Which, in NJ, takes 3 years IIRC) a teacher can be fired for any reason or no reason at all. After that they're pretty much invulnerable.

    Besides that, I'm not claiming teachers should be fired because the parents don't like them. I'm claiming you should be able to transfer your kid to a teacher of your choosing.

    Teachers need to be rated and graded like EVERY OTHER PROFESSIONAL IN THE WORLD. The best SUBJECTIVE AND INDIVIDUAL WAY TO DO THIS is with vouchers.

    Then parents and students can decide for themselves who the best educators are. That's how they do things in Korea (Though in a different way. Over there, while there is compulsory education, the bulk of learning comes from private tutoring which is a pure meritocracy).

    - - - Updated - - -

    Quote Originally Posted by Kaleredar View Post
    Oh please. What you think is ignorant to not know is what someone else deems completely irrelevant and vice versa.

    Being able to birth a cow when it's coming out backwards is a lot more relevant to a lot more people than knowing whether the sun goes around the earth or the earth around the sun. I'd assume most people on MMO champion know the answer to the latter but wouldn't have the damndest clue about the former.
    Being able to birth a cow backwards is not something everyone learns in school.
    Last edited by Laize; 2014-02-19 at 12:56 PM.

  12. #232
    The Undying Kalis's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Frogguh View Post
    From reading what atheists say, I've learned that atheists are smarter and more knowledgeable than people who believe in God. So I'm surprised that Europe did worse than the United States.
    Not all of Europe is atheist, or even the majority - about 75% believe in some form of higher power.

    Ireland, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Italy, Poland, Romania, and others are very religious. Here in Malta the atheists are statistically negligible, Cyprus is similar.

    UK, France, Germany, Benelux, Austria, some of the old Eastern Bloc, and the Scandinavian countries are generally the least religious, but even in those countries there are pockets of devoutly religious people, e.g. Northern Ireland in UK.

    On international forums you will see a majority of British, Germans and Scandinavians posters (as they generally have the best English skills), so your view is skewed on Europe as a whole.

  13. #233
    Merely a Setback Adam Jensen's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Endus View Post
    It isn't hard to get a teacher fired. If you haven't heard of teachers getting fired, it's because you haven't been paying attention, it happens all the time. The thing is, they don't get fired because someone's kid whines about them being bad/hard/whatever. Which is as it should be.
    As the son of a teacher I can assure you it's not the kid's whining that's the problem, its the spineless parents who can't accept the fact that their darling angel isn't perfect and instead of disciplining the child for poor performance or behavior, they instead blame the teacher.

    Man, when I went to school and came home with a C they weren't happy with me. It wasn't the teacher they got upset at.
    Putin khuliyo

  14. #234
    To their defence, it depends on your point of reference.
    Where i upload all my music:
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  15. #235
    Quote Originally Posted by plat0nic View Post
    I don't believe it, unless the question was asked to a group of 3rd graders I find this highly suspect.
    exactly what i came here to say. this question was not asked to adults. end of story. I can't imagine that that many people are this ignorant.

  16. #236
    Deleted
    Not surprising at all. A lot of people still find the idea that we aren't alone in the galaxy ridiculous,which is just sad. The only thing that did surprise me,is that the number is (roughly) 78 mil. people,as well as a fact that US did better then Europe?!

  17. #237
    The Undying Kalis's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Araron View Post
    A lot of people still find the idea that we aren't alone in the galaxy ridiculous,which is just sad.
    It is ridiculous to claim anything other than "We don't know".

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