Socialized Health Care in the USA

[--Pete]

Hi,

Has anyone looked at why this "eleven year" figure seems to come up a lot? It seems like a very strange interval to use. It's not a moving average, it's not a round number, it's just an arbitrary period. So why pick that one?

Actually, nature picked it. It's the sun spot cycle. Or, more accurately, half of the cycle, but the two halves are almost identical, so the 11 year cycle is often used.

It's the oldest trick in the "lying with statistics" book: pick your interval carefully.

Generally true, but not in this particular case. Any discussion of weather needs to take the solar cycles into consideration. Failure to do so is an indicator of either ignorance or of "lying with statistics".

--Pete