5 bored statistical data that everyone believes in
You can bump into a lot of statistical data within hours of reading articles and news on the internet. Often, the numbers presented are even conflicting, which confuses many people. In addition, there is much disclosure of old data that no longer applies to the current situation but continues to be spread across the four corners.
So how about knowing a little bit of the bored statistics, but what does everyone believe? Rather, an addendum: Much of the following applies only to the United States. Even so, it is worth knowing them. After all, what happens there may serve to predict what we will face in the future.
1. Early pregnancy keeps increasing
Many TV reports talk about teenage pregnancy rates, which were already high and still rising. To justify this kind of statistics, many vehicles blame soap operas and lyrics with high sexual content. But according to an article published by Discovery News, this idea is quite wrong, at least in the US.
Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at the US National Health Statistics Center indicate the opposite: the teenage pregnancy rate is low and has been declining. The rate fell by 6% in 2009 for teenagers between 15 and 19 years old, being the lowest level ever recorded by the institution. Since 1990, the rate has fallen by 39%, and the cause is the increasing use of contraceptive means.
2. Number of gay men in the United States
This is one of the hardest statistics to calculate. The reasons are various. To begin with, one must choose a very strict definition: Will only men who identify themselves in this way be considered gay? Or should the survey count people who have had a homosexual relationship at any time in their lives, even though they don't consider themselves gay?
In addition, the collection of these data is based solely on the goodwill and sincerity of the participants, who are not always comfortable telling the truth or simply do not see themselves as homosexuals.
During the 1930s and 1940s, the father of modern sexology, Alfred Kinsey, estimated that 10 percent of the American population was gay. The number has been widely publicized but has been disputed. Professor Joel Best, author of the book “Damned Lies and Statistics” believes that 3% to 6% of American men have had significant homosexual relations at some stage in their lives. Among adults, the number drops to somewhere between 1% and 3%.
However, in 2011, demographer Gary Gates of the Williams Institute of Sexual Orientation Legislation and Public Policy concluded that the United States has about 4 million homosexuals, representing about 1.7% of the population.
3. People died before age 40
It is common to hear that in the past life expectancy was very low, with our ancestors dying before their 40th birthday not long ago. For many, this would explain, for example, the fact that many women married when they were teenagers. After all, with such a low life expectancy, it is better to start family continuity right away.
According to the US National Center for Health Statistics, life expectancy for men in 1907 was 45, rising to 66 years in 1957. Still, that does not mean that it was rare to exceed that mark.
According to the article published by Discovery News, the inclusion of high infant mortality rates in the calculation gave the impression that life expectancy was too low.
4. Terrorists x Marriage
A widely leaked and widely reported statistic in the United States says that a single woman over 40 with a higher education is more likely to be murdered by a terrorist than to marry.
But according to Snopes.com, this information came from misinterpretation of a survey that said women over 40 had a 23 percent chance of getting married, not 2.6 percent, as many reported. Moreover, this is a very difficult statistic to calculate, given that there are many factors involved in this situation, such as the possibility that many women at this age are in long, happy relationships, but not married on paper.
5. The human soul weighs 21 grams
This is information disseminated for years and probably the strangest on this list. In 1907, Dr. Duncan MacDougal of Massachusetts decided to conduct an experiment by weighing six terminally ill patients before and after their deaths. The results varied and some were even discarded, but even so he concluded that the body was, yes, a few grams lighter. More precisely, about 21 grams.
Of course, the study raised controversy, and then analyzes of the doctor's methods revealed several flaws, such as the use of poorly regulated scales. In addition, there are several reasons for this possible weight loss after death, such as the elimination of gases and even fluids. Even so, people who believe in the existence of the human soul continue to cite this "scientific" research to this day.
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