We’ve all been amused by the lawn ornament of the well dressed gentleman who had a little too much fun. Today, the humorous image is used to illustrate “the streetlight effect” in statistics and philosophy, a type of observational bias where people only look for whatever they are searching by looking where it is easiest.
The story goes: A policeman sees a drunk man searching for something under a streetlight and asks what the drunk has lost. He says he lost his keys and they both look under the streetlight together. After a few minutes the policeman asks if he is sure he lost them here, and the drunk replies, no, that he lost them in the park. The policeman asks why he is searching here, and the drunk replies, “this is where the light is.”
Tag: philosophy
Philosophy for High School Students!
Still some openings for the Fall session. A great chance to discuss big ideas, drink coffee, and feel smart, for a little while at least. The sessions are lively and informal. Call Paul at 978-290-2514 for more details.
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Warning: Deep Thoughts Ahead (Paul Kelly Talks About Summertime Philosophy)
In this short video, Paul Kelly — a teacher, worker at Apple Street Farm in Essex, writer, and all-around great guy — talks up the Philosophy & Writing Camps he offers to high school students in the summertime. He meets with small groups of students at the Peabody-Essex Museum in Salem a few hours a day to use the collections there as inspiration for developing skills in writing and discussing Plato, Aristotle and all the rest of those famous guys. Paul says high school students eat this stuff up; they love discussing the big ideas, according to him. The first camp start next week, from Tuesday July 5th – Friday July 8th. For more information, go to Paul’s website: www.philosophy4.com
Good Morning Gloucester 