[Physltest] [Phys-L] Re: Are the Forces of Darkness on the March?

[John Mallinckrodt <ajm@CSUPOMONA.EDU>]

> Maybe we should just let the pollsters interview voters, do their
> statistics ,and don't bother with counting the actual votes.{T.I.C}

I guess it is pretty clear that we come from opposite sides of the
partisan divide, but I would have been disheartened by this
contribution to Phys-L in any case.

As Michael Edmiston has pointed out, the thread on exit polls has
centered on an interesting and centrally important question that we
as physicists are supposed to be quite good at addressing,
specifically:

     What do we do when two measures that are ostensibly
     of the same thing disagree by an amount that is well
     beyond that which can be understood statistically?

Many knowledgeable folks from both sides claim--and bring evidence to
back up the claim--that the discrepancy between the U.S. election
ballot count and the associated exit polls is far too large to be an
accident.  If that is true, there are important questions to be
answered--certainly as important as any we routinely face in the lab.

It seems to me that this thread has adequately made the case for
independent estimates of election results in order to guard against
election fraud. None of the comments in this thread, however, have
suggested that exit polls be substituted for counting ballots.

Frankly, it seems to me that it displays low regard for the
intelligence of one's fellow physics teachers to suggest that any
aspect of the thread could be so construed and to attempt, thereby,
to dismiss such important questions.

John Mallinckrodt
Cal Poly Pomona
_______________________________________________
Phys-L mailing list
Phys-L@electron.physics.buffalo.edu
https://www.physics.buffalo.edu/mailman/listinfo/phys-l