Message-Id: <l03102802b34e75cf96b5@[153.90.236.25]>
In-Reply-To: <199904292014.PAA09829@subcellar.mwci.net>
Date: Thu, 29 Apr 1999 15:07:03 -0600
To: "Pinhole Listserv" <pinhole@exploratorium.edu>
From: Steven Eiger <eiger@montana.edu>
Subject: Re: pinhole guys, gals, and probability
Eric, I think I have swung over to your side. I have drawn the square, and
it is true like someone said earlier, that it depends if you are looking at
individuals or families, and I think my criticism of his remarks were
absolutely wrong. As I look at the square, there are twice as many
families with male female mix as female female; but if you are asking women
off the street, then both sisters of a pair will say that she has a sister
sib. Thus in the three allowable squares there are four females to choose
from, and two will have male sibs and two, female. I was choosing squares
as options, when I should have been choosing females; there are twice as
many females to choose from in the all female square. By my flipping sets
of coins I tricked myself into choosing squares, or families. It required
an extra step to see the above
Thanks for keeping the argument going. I tremendously enjoy being
challenged like this. Steve Eiger
Steven Eiger, Ph.D.
Departments of Biology and the WWAMI Medical Education Program
Montana State University - Bozeman
Bozeman, MT 59717-3460
Voice: (406) 994-5672
E-mail: eiger@montana.edu
FAX: (406) 994-3190