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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsDon't underestimate ordinary people
I wandered into a convenience store tonight
The clerk, twenty or thirty, and a much older woman, holding a handful of lottery tickets, were chatting amiably
Their topic? Global warming
I stood and listened a bit
What I heard was all along the lines, "People might think after this last cold snap that there wasn't any global warming, but that's not right because it actually affects the whole global circulation"
Maybe I shouldn't be surprised
defacto7
(13,485 posts)The recognition of FOX news as a joke is the beginning of wisdom.
Armstead
(47,803 posts)We're all smart in some ways, stupid in others and so-so in many others.
It forms an endlessly complex entity known as Society.
The sum total of all the decisions and actions (or non-actions) determine the intelligence and success of that Society.
Sometimes the balance seems headed towrds a positive direction. Other times just the opposite.
My brain now hurts from my philosophical rambling.
struggle4progress
(118,379 posts)reusrename
(1,716 posts)Here's an excerpt, rather long, but interesting:
There are two lessons to draw from these experiments. First, in most of them the members of the group were not talking to each other or working on a problem together. They were making individual guesses, which were aggregated and then averaged. This is exactly what Galton did, and it is likely to produce excellent results. (In a later chapter, we'll see how having members interact changes things, sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse.) Second, the group's guess will not be better than that of every single person in the group each time. In many (perhaps most) cases, there will be a few people who do better than the group. This is, in some sense, a good thing, since especially in situations where there is an incentive for doing well (like, say, the stock market) it gives people reason to keep participating. But there is no evidence in these studies that certain people consistently outperform the group. In other words, if you run ten different jelly-bean-counting experiments, it's likely that each time one or two students will outperform the group. But they will not be the same students each time. Over the ten experiments, the group's performance will almost certainly be the best possible. The simplest way to get reliably good answers is just to ask the group each time.
Cha
(297,888 posts)Last edited Tue Feb 18, 2014, 04:09 AM - Edit history (1)
That reminds me.. I had a good short conversation today with somebody who was giving me a ride. Whatever station was on the radio was talking about Lyndon Johnson and his legacy. the other person in the car said.. "he wasn't a very good president was he." Our driver said.. "well, people blame him for the Viet Nam war going on and on but he really did a lot of good things."
I popped up from the back seat and said.. "yes, like signing the civil rights act of 1984 1964." Which she concurred. Then she went on to talk about President Obama and I was fully prepared to cringe and maybe say something from the reality realm in support. But, she kinda surprised and said.. "Like President Obama got us out of Iraq and getting us out of Afghanistan while the rw lies every about him with Benghazi." I said yes.. "and he wants peace negotiations with Iran" and she interjected.. "while the warmongers want more sanctions!"
It was so nice to hear that from a stranger in a car!
[font color=red]EDIT[/font] Mahalo 2naSalit!
Cha
(297,888 posts)Surreal!
to discover that other folks are paying attention and willing to admit it.
BTW, the CRA was 1964.
I said that to the woman and then I googled before I posted it.. and then when I typed it.. I saw 1984 and I was thinking.. oh my nieces were born when Johnson was President. So, I really am out it. It's official!
Thanks for the correction, 2naSalit~ I shall correct it post haste.
2naSalit
(86,880 posts)it was a typo that you may have overlooked. I do that, and it's getting late. Past 1am here and I'm off to get myself in a horizontal position, I have important things to do when it gets light out.
Cheers.
2na.