return2ozma@lemmy.world to News@lemmy.world · 15 hours agoBarack Obama says aliens ‘are real’, but not in Area 51www.newsweek.comexternal-linkmessage-square64fedilinkarrow-up1154arrow-down118
arrow-up1136arrow-down1external-linkBarack Obama says aliens ‘are real’, but not in Area 51www.newsweek.comreturn2ozma@lemmy.world to News@lemmy.world · 15 hours agomessage-square64fedilink
minus-squaregrue@lemmy.worldlinkfedilinkarrow-up1arrow-down9·12 hours agoAre “statistically impossible” and “extremely unlikely” not synonyms?
minus-squarenew_world_odor@lemmy.worldlinkfedilinkarrow-up1·5 hours 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-up6·12 hours 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-down4·12 hours agoI didn’t say “impossible,” though. I said “statistically impossible.”
minus-squareIconoclast@feddit.uklinkfedilinkarrow-up7·11 hours 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.