Is this how you're going to run away from the data? kthxbai

Why are you bothering to pretend you read and comprehended the data? Reading an abstract =/= comprehending the methodology and significance of the conclusions.

Why are you pretending it's necessary when the abstract has it in black and white?

Okay, I guess I need to explain this then.

Claims that are published in a reputable journal are not necessarily fact. They have an incentive to make their conclusions sound more significant than they actually are. They can't make wild end-all-be-all claims because it wouldn't get published, but every paper goes out of its way to hype its own conclusions where it can. Even Nature, arguably the best science journal in the world, has retractions when others cannot replicate their data, or when reviewers make mistakes.

Also, one data point doesn't mean ANYTHING without also understanding the body of knowledge that the data is based on, and the evolving field it is being published into. Unless you understand both the data collection, analysis, and the rest of the field you are not qualified to make a meaningful statement on the significance of the conclusions.

While the extent of the illegal voting still has a degree of uncertainty to it, skinned's claim that illegals aren't voting is unmistakably wrong.

The authors set out to prove the non-existence of illegals voting.

Cool story bro, it's still one data point, and neither you nor I know how they did the experiment, data analysis, or anything but the abstract.

Still more data than you have.

You'd think the integrity of the system would mean something to them. It's principal, I dont care if if its 0.0002% or the more realistic numbers you posted of 2-6%. (more than the margin of victory in some political races)
They keep throwing out hypothetical fringe examples, which while important are outliers. Instead of blocking verification, they should just support a tax refund or some kind of credit (or even free) for the ID.





This post was edited by Master_Zappy on Mar 7 2016 12:10pm