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What's a true fact that is so misleading it's borderline misinformation? (self.asklemmy)

submitted 2 years ago by 6mementomori to c/[email protected]

321 comments fedilink hide all child comments

What would be some fact that, while true, could be told in a context or way that is misinfomating or make the other person draw incorrect conclusions?

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[–] [email protected] 27 points 2 years ago (4 children)

Of the ~100 billion humans who have ever lived, about 8 billion (8%) are still alive today. Therefore, your chance of dying is 92%, not 100%.

[–] [email protected] 20 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Wouldn't that be the chance of any randomly selected person being dead?

[–] [email protected] 6 points 2 years ago

Yea, you are right, idk what the original commenter is on.

[–] needthosepylons 10 points 2 years ago

Classic, but very illustrative

[–] Puzzlehead 6 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

People reading this, aren't you just a ray of sunshine with your 8% survival rate?

[–] Whelks_chance 5 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (3 children)

Are you assuming that everyone currently alive is immortal? You may be in for some disappointment.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 years ago (1 children)

We have no evidence they're not. Statistically speaking, as many as 8% of humans are potentially immortal.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 2 years ago (1 children)

It's common sense that if aging were solved tomorrow, it would be patented and the wealthiest 3% would enjoy much longer lives, while the working class wouldn't see much change.

Incidentally, longer life would allow even more accumulation of money and power, making inequality worse.

Plus side: billionaires now consider climate change threat #1 and use many more resources to solve it compared to today, rather than only care about the next 40-50 years.

[–] AnUnusualRelic 2 points 2 years ago

On the down side, they'd probably solve the climate crisis by spreading vaporised peons in the upper atmosphere to block some of the solar radiation.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 years ago (1 children)

That's what's misleading about it.

[–] Klear 5 points 2 years ago

Yeah, only about 8% of people currently living are immortal, so don't get your hopes up.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 2 years ago

We have no evidence they're not. Statistically speaking, as many as 8% of humans are potentially immortal.