return2ozma@lemmy.world to News@lemmy.world · 3 天前Barack Obama says aliens ‘are real’, but not in Area 51www.newsweek.comexternal-linkmessage-square84fedilinkarrow-up1198arrow-down129
arrow-up1169arrow-down1external-linkBarack Obama says aliens ‘are real’, but not in Area 51www.newsweek.comreturn2ozma@lemmy.world to News@lemmy.world · 3 天前message-square84fedilink
minus-squaregrue@lemmy.worldlinkfedilinkarrow-up1arrow-down8·3 天前Are “statistically impossible” and “extremely unlikely” not synonyms?
minus-squareIconoclast@feddit.uklinkfedilinkarrow-up6·3 天前No. “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-down4·3 天前I didn’t say “impossible,” though. I said “statistically impossible.”
minus-squareIconoclast@feddit.uklinkfedilinkarrow-up7·3 天前Exactly. That’s why I corrected that it’s statistically extremely unlikely but not impossible.
minus-squarenew_world_odor@lemmy.worldlinkfedilinkarrow-up1·3 天前No. Statistically impossible means that according to statistics it canNOT occur. Extremely unlikely means that in a given percentage of cases, it CAN occur.
Are “statistically impossible” and “extremely unlikely” not synonyms?
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.
No. Statistically impossible means that according to statistics it canNOT occur. Extremely unlikely means that in a given percentage of cases, it CAN occur.