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Coronavirus: Why the maths behind ‘COVID alert levels’ makes no sense.

2greys profile image
21 Replies

You may have been asked by your maths teacher to put units on your answers. For example, an answer to a problem may be “three apples”, “three metres” or “three years”. Although you may have thought your teacher was simply being picky, they were actually trying to teach you the importance of understanding units. Namely, you cannot add values that do not have the same units, for example “three apples + three metres” makes no sense.

This underlies the fundamental mistake of the government’s equation, which links the following three parameters.

theconversation.com/coronav...

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2greys profile image
2greys
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21 Replies
Corin1950 profile image
Corin1950

This is the problem of having someone with a degree in classics as PM. Unlike Germany whose Chancellor, Angele Merkel, has a doctorate in quantum chemistry and worked as a research scientist until 1989 before going into politics.

X

2greys profile image
2greys in reply to Corin1950

Or just misrepresentation and manipulating figures. You can make statistics say what you want. I doubt that this is Bojo's work.

CDPO16 profile image
CDPO16 in reply to 2greys

There are, supposedly, lies, damned lies and statistics!

Ergendl profile image
Ergendl in reply to CDPO16

Mark Twain, if I remember aright.

CDPO16 profile image
CDPO16 in reply to Ergendl

One of my school teachers. Didn't know it was accredited to Mark Twain. Obviously my education was lacking!

2greys profile image
2greys in reply to CDPO16

“You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can not fool all of the people all of the time.” Quote ― Abraham Lincoln

CDPO16 profile image
CDPO16 in reply to 2greys

Very true and I actually did know that that was said by Abraham Lincoln, so my education was not completely lacking!

Catnip profile image
Catnip in reply to Ergendl

I thought it was from Disraeli

Catnip

2greys profile image
2greys in reply to Catnip

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lies,...

R1100S1 profile image
R1100S1

Think it’s because a good % of those the information was directed at don’t understand- stay in - keep a safe distance apart - etc.

A detail scientific scale, graphics and suchlike would be as baffling to them as it is to BJ

cofdrop-UK profile image
cofdrop-UK

Don’t ask me about maths 2g. I think I have already demonstrated maths passed me by. 😉

Cx

CDPO16 profile image
CDPO16 in reply to cofdrop-UK

Passed me by too!

Carnival567 profile image
Carnival567

Rubbish really, makes no rationality to it. My grandson aged 6 could do better. As a retired maths teacher I have given up trying to understand the reasoning of authority or the media. One newspaper once published the fact that New York had cleaned about 1,456,389 lbs of pigeon droppings from its buildings. Plus or minus half a pound presumably! Believe you me, it’s not for want of trying by maths teachers!

SORRELHIPPO profile image
SORRELHIPPO

It is not only numbers, I read an article in the Times today, all about the increased risk of mortality in different racial groups (from a study). At the very end, was a quote from a different scientist saying that regardless of the study, there was no difference between the groups of catching the virus, this was put in to show the study did not prove anything. I re-read the article , to be sure, what had the comment to do with catching the virus, got to do with information on the mortality rate, once you had it. Talk about confused.

ledge profile image
ledge

Well ...so i am not the only one who thinks we are treated like mushrooms

.kept in the dark and fed.. polite word here, garbage.... from the newly formed department of bafflement...

The only thing i can be sure if is a statement is either prefixed or suffixed with we will guided by science is that they haven't a clue.

What is sad is i am sure its ok to say..dont know...its a new virus to the human population. Its effects are so differing in its presentation on individuals. That only the basic fundamentals can be known early on.

Oldasthmaticfart profile image
Oldasthmaticfart

I imagine the graph shows "number of people who have not yet made a universal credit claim".

Seriously, the equation shown in that article is total nonsense.

anng18 profile image
anng18

Excellent, 2greys,

I'm not going mad! I watched the government briefings, daily and I've never seen such appalling representation of data. It's now become a comedy show, depending on which minister and science advisor are on.

Glad to know that other people see behind the propaganda!

ledge profile image
ledge in reply to anng18

As per my earlier posting... i am convinced that the government

And i say this regardless of which ever party is in power..and probably other nations too are working on the assumption that with no vaccine in place. The best they can do is for herd immunity reached by slow controlled outbursts rather than enormous explosion....only thing is..the virus does not reason....therefore if the population were told the truth...would they act mire or less responsibly...

Videodragons profile image
Videodragons

In addition, it's a disgrace that the government's so-called scientific advisers have been supportive of this rubbish.

Schmicter profile image
Schmicter

It is really bad here in the U.S. the misrepresentation for some reason here is by the media to try to make the government look bad. It is getting old, I believe most can see right through it.

Rattle profile image
Rattle

It’s not just this time either, there’s a constant barrage of unclear and irrelevant information from the government at their press conferences. Wish they would treat us as thinking human beings and communicate with trust and honesty.

twitter.com/thebrieftweet/s...

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