8. Precise-looking numbers can fool people and policy-makers
623 views · Published 10 February 2015 · 2:03 · Indexed 29 October 2026
Channel: Friends of Science · 2015 · Education
Ross McKitrick, professor of economics at the University of Guelph and co-author of “Taken by Storm,” explains that “if you don’t have a precise underlying theory, doing all your calculations on the computer doesn't make your work more precise.” However, when people see the ‘seven decimal places’ of numbers as an outcome of climate or economic models, it seems quite impressive. He cautions people not to be fooled by this apparent precision.
More from this channel
-
9:57
FOS Luncheon 2009 Part 1
-
9:58
FOS Luncheon 2009 Part 2
-
9:45
FOS Luncheon 2009 Part 3
-
10:00
FoS Luncheon 2010 Dr. John Christy Part 2
-
13:19
FoS Luncheon 2011 Dr. Ian Plimer, Part 2
-
14:10
FoS Luncheon 2011 Dr. Ian Plimer, Part 3
-
5:07
FOS 10th Anniversary Web
-
10:30
FoS Luncheon 2012 Donna Laframboise Part 3