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Learning numbers (and associated trends) expose scams. For example, according to hype, we are all dead - killed by aids. The naive simply hyped a linear projection. Exponential curves applied.
According to hype, we are all crack addicts. What happened? Again they were hyping a linear projection. Those who don't first demand numbers were decieved by the 'lying by telling half truths'.
Cited in another discussion are trends associated with a simple calculation - horsepower per liter. A number that even a decade ago said GM had major financial problems. Had you not been watching the numbers, then you don't yet know you will be paying for the $billions that GM failed to put into their pension funds. Another S&L type scandel.
The naive go the Costco or Wawa because gasoline is sold for five cents less a gallon. Had they been doing the numbers, then they brand name gasoline is less expensive even though sold for 5 cents more per gallon. More miles per penny.
The infamous Lisa Thomas Laurie of Action News who claimed Toyota and Honda were the most stolen cars. First we demand numbers she would not provide. Why? They could steal every Corvette and it still would never appear on LTL's list of most stolen cars. She did not provide numbers, so she could 'lie by telling half truths'.
A symptom of a junk scientist: he fears to provide numbers. Numbers - that also showed why aluminum tubes could not be used for manufacturing weapons of mass destruction. Numbers that accurately suggested those tubes were for cloning the Medusa - an Italian rocket.
Numbers that told many that Enron was not what it claimed to be (and greed that said ignore the numbers).
Numbers such as the amount of electricity in Iraq that still does not meet what was produced when Saddam was in power.
Numbers such as how the death rate of Iraqis and Americans is increasing every year in Iraq while we are told of a 'light at the end of a tunnel'. The numbers say one thing. Why does the administration ignore those numbers? Junk scientists - or some other reason?
Numbers such as the cost per science experiment on the ISS.
Numbers such as the sharp increase in global warming in only the last 100 years.
Numbers such as an overdue and pending major earthquake in the Missouri region.
Numbers such as all that spend nuclear fuel with no place to put it.
Numbers that Feynman put in the Challenger accident report to demonstrate why seven astronauts were killed. What is the probability of those rockets exploding. The workers said one in 300 flight. The management said one in every 50,000 flights. Damning numbers when one wants the truth.
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