Re[2]: Basic caution about cancer clusters

[Vincent.King@DOEGJPO.COM (Vincent King)]

     True, median is correct.  But then I say 'Cs-137' when I mean 
     Sr-90, too.
     
     By the way, on behalf of the nuclear industry: Yes we did promise 
     energy too cheap to meter, but we were wrong.  We're sorry.  (Whew, 
     we feel much better.)  Now can we get on with using the technology 
     to provide benefits to humankind?
     
     Vincent (not REALLY the spokesperson for the entire industry) King
     vincent.king@doegjpo.com
     


______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: Re: Basic caution about cancer clusters
Author:  Chris Alston <alstonc@odrge.odr.georgetown.edu> at Internet
Date:    5/1/00 4:45 PM


At 04:01 PM 5/1/00 -0500, you wrote:
>>      Find the average breast cancer rate; now, how many of ALL the NPP
>>      sites are above the average?  By definition, 50%.

Aren't you talking about the median, rather than the arithmetic mean?
Simply knowing the average doesn't tell you anything about the distribution
of the data points, does it?

cja
alstonc@odrge.odr.georgetown.edu
************************************************************************
************************************************************************
The RADSAFE Frequently Asked Questions list, archives and subscription
information can be accessed at http://www.ehs.uiuc.edu/~rad/radsafe.html