return2ozma@lemmy.world to News@lemmy.world · 7 days agoBarack Obama says aliens ‘are real’, but not in Area 51www.newsweek.comexternal-linkmessage-square98linkfedilinkarrow-up1223arrow-down132
arrow-up1191arrow-down1external-linkBarack Obama says aliens ‘are real’, but not in Area 51www.newsweek.comreturn2ozma@lemmy.world to News@lemmy.world · 7 days agomessage-square98linkfedilink
minus-squaregrue@lemmy.worldlinkfedilinkarrow-up1arrow-down9·7 days agoAre “statistically impossible” and “extremely unlikely” not synonyms?
minus-squarenew_world_odor@lemmy.worldlinkfedilinkarrow-up1·7 days agoNo. Statistically impossible means that according to statistics it canNOT occur. Extremely unlikely means that in a given percentage of cases, it CAN occur.
minus-squareIconoclast@feddit.uklinkfedilinkarrow-up7·7 days agoNo. “Impossible” is an absolute statement, whereas “extremely unlikely” leaves a non-zero chance for the unlikely thing to actually happen.
minus-squaregrue@lemmy.worldlinkfedilinkarrow-up1arrow-down4·7 days agoI didn’t say “impossible,” though. I said “statistically impossible.”
minus-squareIconoclast@feddit.uklinkfedilinkarrow-up8·7 days agoExactly. That’s why I corrected that it’s statistically extremely unlikely but not impossible.
Are “statistically impossible” and “extremely unlikely” not synonyms?
No. Statistically impossible means that according to statistics it canNOT occur. Extremely unlikely means that in a given percentage of cases, it CAN occur.
No. “Impossible” is an absolute statement, whereas “extremely unlikely” leaves a non-zero chance for the unlikely thing to actually happen.
I didn’t say “impossible,” though. I said “statistically impossible.”
Exactly. That’s why I corrected that it’s statistically extremely unlikely but not impossible.
No.