Travel writer: Conclusion A vacationer should choose an airline that has had an accident in the past 5 years. ββββββ ββββ βββ ββββ βββββββββββββββββ βββββββ ββββ ββββ βββ βββββββ βββββββ βββ β ββββββββ βββββ β ββββββ ββ ββ ββ βββββββ βββ βββ ββ ββββββββ ββββββ βββ ββββ β ββββββ βββ βββββββ ββββ βββ βββββββ ββββ ββββ β βββββ βββ ββββββββββ
The travel writer knows that the average airline has 1 accident every 5 years, and so concludes that each individual airline is likely to have roughly 1 crash every 5 yearsβif thereβs been a crash in the past 5 years, the airline probably isnβt due for another one yet.
This is a misunderstanding of averages! Itβs quite possible that one airline could have a lot more than 1 crash every 5 years, and a bunch of other airlines have 0 crashes every 5 years to balance out the average. Donβt take the travel writerβs adviceβtry to fly with airlines that donβt crash very often!
Analysis by HollyShulman
The flawed reasoning in the ββββββ ββββββββ ββββββββ ββ ββββ βββββββ ββ ββββ ββ βββββ βββ ββ βββ βββββββββ ββββββββββ
A tossed coin βββ ββββ ββ βββββ βββ βββββ ββ β ββββ ββ ββ βββββββββ ββββββββββ ββ βββββββ ββββ βββ ββββ ββ βββ βββββ βββ ββββ ββββ ββ ββ ββββ ββββββ ββ ββββ ββ βββββ ββββ βββββ ββββ ββ ββ βββββββ ββββββ
If there are ββ βββββ ββββ βββββββ ββ β ββββββ βββ ββββββ ββ ββ βββββββ βββββ ββββ ββββββ βββββββββ ββ βββββββββ ββ βββ βββββ ββββ ββ β ββ βββ βββββ ββ ββ βββββ ββββ ββββββ βββ ββββ ββ βββ βββββ ββββ ββββ ββ βββββ βββ βββ βββββ ββββββββ ββ ββββββββββ ββββ βββ ββββββ ββ βββ βββββ ββ ββ βββ ββββββ ββββ β ββ βββ
On a given ββββ ββ βββββββ ββββββββββ ββββββ ββ βββββ ββββββββ ββ β βββββββ ββββββββ ββ β βββββββ ββββ ββ β ββ βββββββ ββββββββββ βββ ββββββ ββ ββββββ β ββββββββββ βββββββββ βββββ ββββββββ ββ β βββββββ ββββββββ ββ βββ ββββ ββ βββ βββββ βββ ββ ββββ β ββ βββββββ
The average adolescent βββ βββββ βββββββββ ββ β βββββββ βββββββ βββββ βββββ ββ βββββ βββ βββββ ββββββ ββββ ββ βββββ βββ βββββ βββββββββ βββββ ββββββ ββββββββββ βββββ ββ ββββ βββββββ βββ βββββββ ββββββββββ βββ βββββ βββββββββ βββββ ββββ ββββ βββ βββββββ ββββββββββ βββ βββββ ββββββββββ βββ βββββββ ββββββββββ βββ βββββ βββββββββ βββββ ββββ ββββ ββ βββββ βββ βββββ ββββββ ββββ ββ ββ ββββββββ ββββββ
Though until recently ββββ βββββ βββββββββββ βββ βββββββββ ββ βββββββ ββββ β ββββ ββββ β ββββ ββ βββ βββββ ββ βββ βββββββ ββββββββββ ββ βββ βββββββββ ββ ββββ β ββββ ββββ β ββ βββββββ ββ βββ βββββ βββββ ββ βββ ββββ ββββ ββ βββ βββββββ βββββββββββ ββ ββ ββ βββββββ ββββββ ββ βββββββ ββ ββββ β ββββ ββββ ββ