Originally Posted by
Derfred
Every layman understands what “5 times less” means.
It means that if an event has a 50% chance of happening (e.g. an unvaccinated person catching COVID given a certain exposure scenario), and another event has a 10% chance of happening (e.g. a vaccinated person catching COVID given the same exposure event), then it makes sense to the average person that the first event is 5 times more likely than the second event.
It also makes sense to the average person that the second event is 5 times less likely than the first event.
So event A is 50% and event B is 10%.
According to your message, B is 5x A's value more likely to happen than A is likely to happen.
So B = 5A+A = 60%
But that can't be right because A = 50%.
I think if you said A is 5x
as likely as B this would be correct. This sort of concept is helpful when managing your own money so I don't see why people resent being correct. Pilots are meant to be good with numbers but maybe the magenta line breed is undermining the need for understanding of fundamentals.
Then you say B is 5 x something
less likely to happen than A is likely to happen. Did you mean 5 x A?
Let's see... B = A-5A = 50-(5x50) = -200. Hmmm. Nope, that doesn't work.
Maybe 5 x B!
B = A-5B = 50 - (5x10) = 0. No, that doesn't make any sense either. Maybe
Student can help if s/he has been to school since it all changed.
Originally Posted by
Derfred
Every layman understands what “5 times less” means................ the use of the phrase “5 times less likely to be infected” is perfectly valid, and will be understood by the intended audience.
I think every layman might
think he understands but really doesn't or maybe simply happily agrees with the incorrect interpretation of the masses and that's the world in which we now thanks to the previously-referred to dumbing down. Some people seem happy to live like this. Go with the ignorant flow, believe everything you're told,
Newspeak is fine, just take your jab, watch the footy or The Block.