[wrsh07]

Analogy time:

- I am an ordinary human

- I live in an ordinary country

One of these is wrong, and it's the second one.

[marcus_holmes]

yeah OK that makes sense.

So what about:

- Humans are an ordinary species

- Humans live in an ordinary galaxy

Does that change our relative height?

[wrsh07]

I see what you're trying to do, but it doesn't work. Our arguments need to be like the Doomsday argument, presented here: https://what-if.xkcd.com/65/

If most species looked at themselves and said "my species is ordinary" the majority of them would be right; however, it doesn't give you any statistical reason to think that humans are ordinary.

[marcus_holmes]

that was fascinating, thanks :)

The counter-intuitiveness of it all is really intriguing. We really are evolved to think in small numbers.