[vincent-toups]

The epistemological relevance of statistics at the level of daily news is almost non-existent. Heck, professional scientists routinely fail (for various reasons) to apply statistics correctly to very controlled circumstances. News reporting is quite far from the controlled experimental context in which statistics would be applicable.

Seems like a weird suggestion.

[avs733]

I teach statistics to undergraduates...you are correct it is a VERY weird suggestion that presumes many things.

I'm trying to craft a more coherent and unfortunately long response to this whole conversation...HN is making some wild practical epistemic swings at this that are largely without merit.