Putting data in context can make a lot of difference to what a percentage really means. A 15% increase might mean a lot if you are dealing with big numbers, next to nothing if you start with small numbers.
A 100% increase in ten in a million becomes twenty in a million. Not any big deal. But an incorrect 100% increase in the volume of drugs injected by a doctor makes a big difference.
Take what it means to be 99.9% effective, in Six Sigma statistics we use this example quite a lot. In a health service in the UK it might mean 135 botched operations and 13 babies given to the wrong parents, every week.
A percentage is not really a number, it is a share. The simple question to keep in mind is one that always strives to put it into a proper, human context: "A share of what? A share of a lot - or a share of a little?"
Did you know that 87.5% of all statistics are made up on the spot.
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I see this was an old post but nonetheless a good one. In the book I am currently reading "Make Me Like Jesus", Michael Phillips says that when we whisper our "not my will" prayers, we hit the bulls-eye of God's intention for His children.
ReplyDeleteAs a PS my husband is a bio-statistician and life with him has caused me to question every statistical source!
Dear beloved in Christ Trevor Gibson Dated: 08/24/09
ReplyDeleteGreeting to you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. I am writing this letter with the hope that you will threat the letter as genuine though we are not acquainted to each other. I assure you that in Jesus Christ we are all one, because of that I am going to share our burden and vision with you in faith. I am Mr. Nchumpemo Shitio working as a teaching missionary at Bible College in India, Vishakapatnam. I and my wife have two kids, a boy and a girl. Both my wife and I are from theological background. I did my M.Th (Master in Theology) and my wife did BD (bachelor in divinity), now we are serving in a bible college as teacher and also as a chaplain. We founded Galilee Welfare Ministry in 2007, and it is recognized under the State Government of Nagaland, India. We founded this Ministry with a burden to help the helpless, and to bless the homeless especially focusing on children, youth and old aged. Our state is Nagaland, under India. And in the country of India our state is symbolize as a Christian State. As we live under the Hindu Government our state is underdeveloped in everything and moreover we have a political problem with India. 80 percent of our state population still lives in rural area doing jhum cultivation for a living. Majority of the family cannot afford their children education as they live in a pathetic condition without sufficient needs for their living. And on the other hand many people are caught with HIV/AIDS through drugs and sex, and most of them died and left their children homeless. These lovely and beautiful children have become a victim of a community, as majority of the community regarded HIV/AIDS as SIN, so the communities ignore to help to those lovely and beautiful children, and the heinous things is that, the churches are not coming up to help this beautiful and lovely children. Therefore looking at this situation our ministry (Galilee Welfare Ministry) has started a project on CHILDREN HOME to enhance the living of poor children and children living with HIV/AIDS. We therefore, request you in the name of Jesus Christ to partner with us in helping those beautiful and lovely children. We request you to pray and think over it to join with us in order to help the poor and needy children in our state.
If you want to join with us then, we request you to make a time and a day to visit us or you can make enquire or ask any thing you want to know.
Together we can change the live of children. Let Jesus Christ be our master and our leader. Amen
In Christ service
Nchumpemo and Fanny Shitire
nslotha@gmail.com
+009010061998