Re:Tell HN: Aaron Swartz's website is offline
by reaperducer on Monday December 10, 2018 @03:39PM
(#18651002)
how likely would it be that a father and his son would both be elected as president
If all 300 million people lived identical lives and had identical histories, then the chances are about one in 300 million.
In the real world, people who take specific life paths, get specific degrees, and acquire specific skills are more likely than others to end up in a particular place. Especially when the other 299,999,999 people get to weigh in on the decision.
Just as not every one of those 300 million people has an equal chance of becoming a database administrator at Google, and not every one of those 300 million people has an equal chance of becoming a barista.
If all 300 million people lived identical lives and had identical histories, then the chances are about one in 300 million.
In the real world, people who take specific life paths, get specific degrees, and acquire specific skills are more likely than others to end up in a particular place. Especially when the other 299,999,999 people get to weigh in on the decision.
Just as not every one of those 300 million people has an equal chance of becoming a database administrator at Google, and not every one of those 300 million people has an equal chance of becoming a barista.