Re:"More Sex is Safer Sex" Paradox (Python)
by mattmaroon on Friday October 01, 2010 @08:44PM
(#1749331)
Well, there certainly are statistical problems you can't solve without math or simulations, but this isn't one of them. Landsburg is obviously wrong. You only have to think about the extremes (ie. nobody having sex at all, and everyone having sex with everyone) to see that.
He also misunderstands the dating pool. It isn't as if promiscous people have a calendar and go to the bar determined to hook up with someone every 100 days, then when they're done think "that was nice, I'll do that again in 3 months." They go to the bar frequently and hook up every time they get the opportunity. Hookups with less promiscous partners don't sate their appetite or reduce at all the number of hookups they'll make later.
He also misunderstands the dating pool. It isn't as if promiscous people have a calendar and go to the bar determined to hook up with someone every 100 days, then when they're done think "that was nice, I'll do that again in 3 months." They go to the bar frequently and hook up every time they get the opportunity. Hookups with less promiscous partners don't sate their appetite or reduce at all the number of hookups they'll make later.