Apparently, Innumeracy Rules
May. 18th, 2012 09:02 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
davidschrothI was listening to the radio, and Marketplace was talking with half of the Freakonomics team (the journalist half).
The assertion was made (on behalf of the economist half) that the doubling of Life Expectancy in the last mumble-mumble years meant that current retirees could expect to spend twice as much time being retired as retirees could expect mumble-mumble years ago.
Feh, The stupid (on the part of all involved), it burns.
ETA: Note that it's not that hard to find the explanation and relevant data -
http://www.ssa.gov/history/lifeexpect.html
shame on the journalist/economist promoting this falsehood, and double shame on the radio host for not calling them on their bullshit.
The assertion was made (on behalf of the economist half) that the doubling of Life Expectancy in the last mumble-mumble years meant that current retirees could expect to spend twice as much time being retired as retirees could expect mumble-mumble years ago.
Feh, The stupid (on the part of all involved), it burns.
ETA: Note that it's not that hard to find the explanation and relevant data -
http://www.ssa.gov/history/lifeexpect.html
shame on the journalist/economist promoting this falsehood, and double shame on the radio host for not calling them on their bullshit.
