The obligatory thick kid in class
When studying averages in GCSE Human Geography - average wage, number of kids, house ownership, job type etc - asked "How many people are average, then?"

Loads of the class absolutely jumped on him "DUUURRRR! God you're so FIK you tosser! Duuurrr!", and the teacher likewise laughed it off.

To this day I remember thinking what a good question that was, and wonder about the answer.
( Je suis un vagabond is an unfunny, up your own arse middle class knob, Mon 22 Mar 2010, 12:34, 6 replies)

As a trained statistician I could explain it
but I'd have to kill you.
(Juan Quar is clinging to her front teeth on, Mon 22 Mar 2010, 12:47, closed)

welll...
in a normal distribution, the mode, the mean and the median are all the same. So, for a normal distribution with a known sample size and standard deviation, you can work this out (fairly) easily. However, none of the things you mention are normally distributed (ie the median wage tends to be lower than the mean wage), so it is a bit harder.

But it is a really good question to ask about statistics, in both the general and the specific. Too few people understand enough about statistics, regrettably.
( Sextant goes to him is emotionally erect, on this day, Mon 22 Mar 2010, 13:15, closed)

very much agree with your last statement

( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Mon 22 Mar 2010, 13:24, closed)

Quite an insightfull question for a 15/16 yr old
Shame realy he got laughed at for it.
(Fredz A graveyard of hopes, a dump of ambition, Mon 22 Mar 2010, 13:28, closed)

Did you think it was a good question
because it was *you* who asked it?!
(FUXTIX Not my words, Carol, Mon 22 Mar 2010, 14:19, closed)

Hahahahahaha
No.
( Je suis un vagabond is an unfunny, up your own arse middle class knob, Mon 22 Mar 2010, 14:29, closed)