Lies, Damn Lies, and Statistics Quiz

Answer: Benjamin Disraeli

The original source of the phrase is unknown, but Benjamin Disraeli is often credited with it. Other proposed sources have included Sir Charles Dilke and Judge Baron Bramwell. Mark Twain popularized the saying in the United States while attributing it to Disraeli.

Answer: Correlation does not necessarily imply causation

This conclusion does not take into account other factors that may cause cities with strict gun control laws to have more crime than cities with more liberal gun control laws, such as difference in the population, cultural factors, location, economics, diversity, etc. It is important to remember that in statistics, "correlation does not necessarily imply causation."

Answer: About 10-30

The 50 percent divorce rate statistic was first calculated by dividing the number of divorces in a given year by the number of marriages in that same year. The problem is that this equation fails to take into account any previously existing marriages. If instead statisticians ask how many people who have ever been married have ever been divorced, the answer is, depending on the survey, somewhere between 11 and 30 percent. (The website truthorfiction.com refers to two such surveys, one by pollster Louis Harris and another by George Barna, though there are others.)

Answer: It cannot possibly be true

This was an actual statistic that appeared in a journal published in 1995, but it is obviously untrue. How can we tell? If this statistic were true, and even if only one child were gunned down in 1950, then by 1980, the number of American children gunned down would exceed the population of America, an obvious impossibility.

This statistic wins from Joel Best the label of "The Worst Social Statistic Ever," and it is described in his introduction to his book "Damned Lies and Statistics."

Answer: Most new HIV cases are contracted by homosexuals

How can both be true? To make the math simple, let's say that in 1998 in one town there were 50 homosexuals with HIV and 10 heterosexuals with HIV. Let's say that in 1999 10 more homosexuals and 5 more heterosexuals contracted HIV. Well, HIV grew by 50 percent (or 5 out of 10) in the heterosexual population, but only by 20 percent (or 10 out of 50) in the homosexual population. Yet twice as many homosexuals contracted HIV as heterosexuals. So, while both statements are true, it all depends on how you want to slant the story.

Answer: False

The average salary could still be $100,000. Say there are 10 employees, and 8 make $20,000 a year, and 2 make $420,000. The average salary would be [(8 X $20,000) + (2 X $420,00)] / 10 = $100,000.

Answer: It is incomplete

Twenty percent less gas than what? A city bus? Without knowing the object of comparison, this statistic is incomplete and therefore not very telling.

Answer: The sample is not stated

For all we know, only inhabitants of Texas were surveyed, which would certainly skew the results. Without knowing from where the sample is drawn, we cannot conclude that the statistic is an accurate representation of the country as a whole.

Answer: Bowling for Columbine

This film won the academy award for best documentary in 2003, but many critics claim it is more fiction than documentary. In addition to staging scenes and editing speeches (i.e. slicing together words to make speakers appear to say things they never actually said), Moore is accused of manipulating or simply manufacturing statistics about gun related homicides.

Answer: False

Joe could have written 500 quizzes, each played only two times, and Janet could have written 5 quizzes, each played 100 times. And this is why you shouldn't judge your performance by FunTrivia statistics. Just have fun!