a blog about nothing
2010-10-27
Significant figures
I have a problem with the tv show Biggest looser. They calculate the weight loss for the contestants as a percentage based on measurements in whole pounds. So a person that has gone from 310 to 305 pounds has lost 5 pounds => 5/310=1.61%. And then they use this number to eliminate people. It is just plain wrong to get a number with three significant figures from a division that contains a number with only one significant figure. The true answer to the above example should hence be 2%. They really ought to buy a more precise scale and learn some maths.
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2 comments:
Why don't you tell Aftonbladet or Expressen. This could get big - elimination is biggest looser was basted on wrong numbers :o)
I think that I will just wait until they pick up my story by themselves. It is bound to happen sooner or later and I think that I will get more attention if they come to me by their own instead of me trying to sell them on it. Muahahaaa
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