In my review, I mentioned that Ben Goldacre's book, Bad Science, suffers from a tendency to sneer. Although he usually directs his disrespect at those with whom he disagrees, every once in a while he takes aim at his readers. Take, for example, this footnote in the chapter, "Why Clever People Believe Stupid Things":
I'd be genuinely intrigued to know how long it takes to find someone who can tell you the difference between "mean," "median," and "mode," from where you are sitting right now.
I find that as insulting as some of the dumb questions asked by Sunday School teachers, the kind that have students sitting on their hands not because they don't know then answer, but because it's so basic and obvious they're embarrassed it was even asked of them.
From where I am sitting, I need look no further than my own chair. We learned mean, median, and mode in elementary school, and if I was never clear on exactly when each was considered the best "average" to use, I could certainly define and calculate them. I'd be shocked if Jon and Heather couldn't also. But probably not Jonathan (7), and certainly not Noah (4), Faith (2), or Joy (five days), so I suppose our household average isn't so impressive. In this case, I am smarter (or at least more knowledgeable) than a first grader. (Though if asked about guns, or Star Wars, or several other topics, I'd lose.)
How about at your house?
