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It might have interested Newt to know that, of the…

“It might have interested Newt to know that, of the thirty-nine thousand women tested with the pin during the centuries of witch-hunting, twenty-nine thousand said “ouch,” nine thousand, nine hundred and ninety-nine didn’t feel anything because of the use of the aforesaid retractable pins, and one…” quote by Terry Pratchett
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““It might have interested Newt to know that, of the thirty-nine thousand women tested with the pin during the centuries of witch-hunting, twenty-nine thousand said “ouch,” nine thousand, nine hundred and ninety-nine didn’t feel anything because of the use of the aforesaid retractable pins, and one witch declared that it had miraculously cleared up the arthritis in her leg.””

Terry Pratchett

About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

A satirical statistic about witch‑hunting pins, highlighting absurdities in historical medical experiments.

In simple terms: Historical data can be absurd and misleading.

Key Takeaway

Question the validity of old statistics.

Themes

satire history science absurdity

Mood

ironic critical thought‑provoking

Type

satire commentary

When to use this quote

  • academic research
  • medical trials
  • historical analysis
  • critical thinking

Key Concepts

statistics medical ethics skepticism

Questions to Reflect On

  • What does this say about trust in historical data?
  • How can we verify such claims?
A Different Perspective

The numbers may be fictional or exaggerated.

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