Path: csiph.com!newsfeed.hal-mli.net!feeder3.hal-mli.net!newsfeed.hal-mli.net!feeder1.hal-mli.net!newsfeed.xs4all.nl!newsfeed1.news.xs4all.nl!xs4all!post.news.xs4all.nl!not-for-mail Return-Path: X-Original-To: python-list@python.org Delivered-To: python-list@mail.python.org X-Spam-Status: OK 0.161 X-Spam-Level: * X-Spam-Evidence: '*H*': 0.68; '*S*': 0.00; 'subject:: [': 0.03; 'patterns': 0.04; 'statistical': 0.09; 'from:addr:rosuav': 0.16; 'from:name:chris angelico': 0.16; 'subject:Line': 0.16; 'temperatures': 0.16; 'utterly': 0.16; 'wrote:': 0.17; 'jan': 0.18; 'subject:] ': 0.19; 'regardless': 0.21; 'absolute': 0.23; 'least': 0.25; 'header:In-Reply-To:1': 0.25; 'looks': 0.26; 'scale': 0.27; 'message-id:@mail.gmail.com': 0.27; 'cycles': 0.29; "d'aprano": 0.29; 'long.': 0.29; 'measure': 0.29; 'steven': 0.29; 'subject: [': 0.29; 'case,': 0.29; 'point': 0.31; 'to:addr:python- list': 0.33; 'received:google.com': 0.34; 'subject:]': 0.35; 'pm,': 0.35; 'received:209.85.220': 0.35; 'received:209.85': 0.35; 'but': 0.36; 'quite': 0.37; 'received:209': 0.37; 'subject:: ': 0.38; 'degree': 0.38; 'to:addr:python.org': 0.39; 'header:Received:5': 0.40; 'your': 0.60; 'bottom': 0.60; 'increased': 0.60; 'worth': 0.63; 'show': 0.63; 'debate': 0.65; 'matter.': 0.65; 'due': 0.66; 'subject': 0.66; 'dangerous': 0.66; 'talking': 0.66; 'eight': 0.71; 'sounds': 0.71; 'increase': 0.72; '2013': 0.84; 'climate': 0.84; 'degrees,': 0.84; 'subject:removal': 0.84; 'vehicles': 0.84; 'weather': 0.84; 'railway': 0.91 DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=gmail.com; s=20120113; h=mime-version:in-reply-to:references:date:message-id:subject:from:to :content-type; bh=nt985ivnk1v7mZhRVPavWWu6E1afHJbQ/yVCphnHJtc=; b=LBCMHmpnUed2TB/kYMCIU0hIDxEhW1zLFANO0cDM4FRU2uXXQ87k5jAoK/Wp5JZgc5 iizvQWIFU5Sj6pUS8f6680DpZg4cGeWOk8yKkFfvZMFwM36pBPZ9+mMJepoJ/5suwDk5 vDQe6eFCdCtBaf2CT+xsQGySSfEbu58T2m1pmM850pnW0xmpZE8e44ucUOaHef13iq0o +GqXaDtl7vTU9TyhijyP422oS6FMI7LgI5h1XY0bqkHROfTlUrf5mkvay/yLwkVwVlrK orf3M2huTHEKKpjo5CpW3BaECKMROInkhZjzaesdO/ktUaww0FIQFzsONaK+9eNP/Gvy v3Lw== MIME-Version: 1.0 In-Reply-To: <50eb7f2a$0$30003$c3e8da3$5496439d@news.astraweb.com> References: <50ea28e7$0$30003$c3e8da3$5496439d@news.astraweb.com> <50ea58f0$0$21851$c3e8da3$76491128@news.astraweb.com> <50eb0cd2$0$30003$c3e8da3$5496439d@news.astraweb.com> <50eb7f2a$0$30003$c3e8da3$5496439d@news.astraweb.com> Date: Tue, 8 Jan 2013 17:35:33 +1100 Subject: Re: [Offtopic] Line fitting [was Re: Numpy outlier removal] From: Chris Angelico To: python-list@python.org Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 X-BeenThere: python-list@python.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.15 Precedence: list List-Id: General discussion list for the Python programming language List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Newsgroups: comp.lang.python Message-ID: Lines: 21 NNTP-Posting-Host: 2001:888:2000:d::a6 X-Trace: 1357626941 news.xs4all.nl 6952 [2001:888:2000:d::a6]:39066 X-Complaints-To: abuse@xs4all.nl Xref: csiph.com comp.lang.python:36416 On Tue, Jan 8, 2013 at 1:06 PM, Steven D'Aprano wrote: >> given that weather patterns have been known to follow cycles at least >> that long. > > That is not a given. "Weather patterns" don't last for thirty years. > Perhaps you are talking about climate patterns? Yes, that's what I meant. In any case, debate about global warming is quite tangential to the point about statistical validity; it looks quite significant to show a line going from the bottom of the graph to the top, but sounds a lot less noteworthy when you see it as a half-degree increase on about (I think?) 30 degrees, and even less when you measure temperatures in absolute scale (Kelvin) and it's half a degree in three hundred. Those are principles worth considering, regardless of the subject matter. If your railway tracks have widened by a full eight millimeters due to increased pounding from heavier vehicles travelling over it, that's significant and dangerous on HO-scale model trains, but utterly insignificant on 5'3" gauge. ChrisA