I fancy you give me credit for being a more systematic…
“I fancy you give me credit for being a more systematic sort of cove than I really am in the matter of limits of significance. What would actually happen would be that I should make out Pt (normal) and say to myself that would be about 50:1; pretty good but as it may not be normal we'd best not be too certain, or 100:1; even allowing that it may not be normal it seems good enough and whether one would be content with that or would require further work would depend on the importance of the conclusion and the difficulty of obtaining suitable experience.”
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
Statisticians often settle for approximate ratios when data are uncertain, balancing confidence and practicality.
In simple terms: Use practical estimates when data are fuzzy.
Key Takeaway
Accept reasonable approximations in scientific conclusions.
Themes
statistics
uncertainty
confidence
methodology
practicality
Mood
analytical
cautious
practical
Type
Allowing:0
Certain:0
Conclusion:1
Credit:0
Depends:0
Difficulty:0
Enough:1
Fancy:0
Give me:0
Giving:0
Good enough:1
Happens:0
Importance:1
Limits:1
Make out:0
Matter:0
May:0
Normal:0
Obtaining:0
Pretty good:1
Science:1
Seems:0
Should:0
Significance:1
Statistics:1
Suitable:0
Systematic:1
Would be:0
Limits Significance:0
Pt Normal:0
Suitable Experience:0
Allowing Normal:0
Significance Actually:0
When to use this quote
- designing experiments
- reporting statistical results
- teaching data interpretation
- policy making based on evidence
- risk assessment
Key Concepts
probability theory
scientific inference
error analysis
decision making under uncertainty
Questions to Reflect On
- When is a 50:1 ratio sufficient?
- How do you decide the needed precision?
A Different Perspective
Over‑reliance on rough ratios may mislead decisions.