xia@lemmy.sdf.org to Showerthoughts@lemmy.worldEnglish · 1 day agoEvery one of us had an instant in time that we were the youngest person on Earth, and we were too young to appreciate that fact... but practically no one will ever become the oldest person on Earth.message-squaremessage-square15linkfedilinkarrow-up1100arrow-down13
arrow-up197arrow-down1message-squareEvery one of us had an instant in time that we were the youngest person on Earth, and we were too young to appreciate that fact... but practically no one will ever become the oldest person on Earth.xia@lemmy.sdf.org to Showerthoughts@lemmy.worldEnglish · 1 day agomessage-square15linkfedilink
minus-squareMultiplexer@discuss.tchncs.delinkfedilinkarrow-up22·1 day agoBut if you happen to be the oldest person on Earth, you will be it for a significantly longer time than you would ever be the youngest person. So, on average, people are just as long the youngest, as they are the oldest person on Earth. And that, my dear friends, is the reason why you should never look at the average, but always at the median value!
minus-squarexia@lemmy.sdf.orgOPlinkfedilinkEnglisharrow-up5·1 day ago(Second-oldest person): “If I can hold out a bit longer, then I’ll have years left ahead of me”
But if you happen to be the oldest person on Earth, you will be it for a significantly longer time than you would ever be the youngest person.
So, on average, people are just as long the youngest, as they are the oldest person on Earth.
And that, my dear friends, is the reason why you should never look at the average, but always at the median value!
(Second-oldest person): “If I can hold out a bit longer, then I’ll have years left ahead of me”