prase comments on Confidence levels inside and outside an argument - Less Wrong

129 Post author: Yvain 16 December 2010 03:06AM

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Comment author: ata 16 December 2010 03:26:49AM 26 points [-]

While searching creationist websites for the half-remembered argument I was looking for, I found what may be my new favorite quote: "Mathematicians generally agree that, statistically, any odds beyond 1 in 10 to the 50th have a zero probability of ever happening."

That reminds me of one of my favourites, from a pro-abstinence blog:

When you play with fire, there is a 50/50 chance something will go wrong, and nine times out of ten it does.

Comment author: prase 16 December 2010 02:13:06PM 10 points [-]

When you play with fire, there is a 50/50 chance something will go wrong, and nine times out of ten it does.

They are only admitting their poor calibration.

Comment author: atucker 16 December 2010 11:46:53PM *  5 points [-]

Heh.

Though, admitting poor calibration that way is like saying "I incorrectly believe X to be true, its actually Y".