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From: bzs@bu-cs.BU.EDU (Barry Shein)
Newsgroups: soc.college,talk.rumors
Subject: Re: Accuracy in Academia
Message-ID: <1750@bu-cs.bu-cs.BU.EDU>
Date: Tue, 7-Oct-86 20:43:48 EDT
Article-I.D.: bu-cs.1750
Posted: Tue Oct  7 20:43:48 1986
Date-Received: Sun, 12-Oct-86 01:55:16 EDT
Organization: Boston U. Comp. Sci.
Lines: 38
Xref: watmath soc.college:60 talk.rumors:88


>> The distance between data and
>> conclusion is measured.  This
>> is a scientific method.  You
>> are a computer scientist.  Did
>> you employ the scientific method?

>It is unclear to me what your point is. I presume you do not believe
>that I have the reason to dismiss "high percentage of Jews in USSR are 
>doctors => Jews are influential in the USSR" as garbage.

The point is (whatever the original poster's intention was) that
such things are arguable. How you refute it, false or not, is subtle.

Would you prefer professors stand in front of a room and, with a glazed
and zomboid look, repeat "ONE PLUS ONE EQUALS TWO" over and over again?

You don't seem to dispute that a high percentage of doctors in the
USSR are of Jewish background*, just that this implies influence.  It
seems to me that a medical doctor in any reasonably technological
society will have some sort of influence with someone (surely they
hold some influence over their patient's health for example, more
reasonably I would be surprised if they have no social influence over
some they come in contact with, other doctors, nurses, patients etc,
how can one be a doctor and not be granted any influence? even if just
over medical decisions?)

So, go refute the conclusion if you disagree, find a methodology for
measuring and defining "influence" in the USSR as a function of
occupation or whatever. But to discredit the person who made the
claim (as AIA seems to wish to do) seems a cowardly way to accomplish
this.

	-Barry Shein, Boston University

* I haven't the vaguest idea whether or not "a high percentage of
doctors in the USSR are Jewish" is true or not, I'm not even sure
what "a high percentage" means (>50% ? >the percentage of Jews in
the general population? >than in other countries? ??)