I read this in the science section of Google News: Fifteen percent of humans and chimp DNA is closer to that to gorillas than to each other, a new study finds

I can't make heads or tails of what it's trying to tell me. Can anyone???

I think it's trying to say that human DNA and Chimp DNA are more closely related to Gorilla DNA than to each other but ham-fisted use of statistics essentially means that the sentence either

a) means this
b) means the opposite
c) means something else entirely
or d) means that the journalist is 15% Chimpanzee which accounts for the writing style.*

*Chimpanzee are notoriously lax when it comes to mathematical rigour.**

** In case you doubt my qualifications to make this assertion let me remind you that I am maths graduate and many of my fellow students were far more than 15% Chimp.***

***At least when judged on their eating habits.****

****Judged on their mating habits they were 100% bonobo.*****


***** http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonobo

That's great stuff, Bob! I didn't need to click the link, as I was already aware of bonobo social structure. I quite like it myself - AND it's matriarchal, so no "sexism" accusations regarding their copulatory proclivities!

Speaking of not making heads or tails of something, we received an article from two nursing faculty members for one of our newsletters today. Our editor and I practically had to rewrite the whole thing, then sent it back to them, and they added a very confusing paragraph that started like this:

quote:

As a board of nursing we value the approach of education and support; lesser the punitive approach.

I loved "lesser the punitive approach."

This from the Muncie, Indiana Craigslist, under farm and garden equipment: "I am selling a rare tin tiller cheap for only $300 or best offer."
It is indeed rare that one tills tin. Not so rare is a rear tine tiller for tilling gardens. Maybe this guy grows pots?

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Geoff, March 24, 2012 17:13

Wow...$300 cheap? I suppose it's all relevant, but somehow "cheap" doesn't work for me here.