komponisto comments on Experiment: Knox case debate with Rolf Nelson - Less Wrong

18 Post author: komponisto 08 July 2011 08:22AM

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Comment author: komponisto 11 July 2011 07:18:49PM 1 point [-]

My guess is it's probably figured by assuming there are ~500 objects being examined by the lab. However, I would point out that contaminations are unlikely to be independent of each other, and are instead probably correlated via the general level of standards in the laboratory. In other words, if there is a single contamination, there are likely to be others as well (reported or not).

Comment author: rolf_nelson 12 July 2011 04:03:19AM 0 points [-]

My guess is it's probably figured by assuming there are ~500 objects being examined by the lab.

Correct, I'm guessing a mean of roughly 500 examinations per homicide investigation.

...if there is a single contamination, there are likely to be others as well (reported or not).

Agree.