Basically for events where we have a wide range of unique situations with unique variables, the averages mean nothing, something, or everything depending on which of these situations you are in. The averages certainly mean something to those of us flying from NY to LA, as you mentioned, or those driving to the grocery store and back. The averages mean little or nothing when you are driving through the cliffs of India with no guardrails in the middle of the summer heat. Indeed, the above circumstances could be a major contributory factor to the statistics in question (40 deaths per billion total, but 30 of them are in the cliffs of India during the summer) in which case those engaging in 'average' type trips are even safer than the statistics would seem to indicate. In order to have truly reliable and valid statistics (at least for issues involving billions of trips, millions of deaths, dozens of types of transportation, thousands of variables), the data would have to be dissected and analyzed to the point of impracticality. And even then, to echo the words of a wise seer "It's not like the gods are sitting up on Mt. Olympus saying "OK, it has been 65 million years since the last mass extinction; the next one is due on Thursday. Make sure it isn't late; these things have to happen exactly so often!", but let's not forget the words of another prophet "...but we know that certain events have happened before, when they happened before, and can estimate that events of that type occur, on average, every x number of years."
I was reading your PM and you just posted in here... How could you manipulate these stats, this is simple : tell 'em.........
