What we miss when we focus on the average | Am I Normal? with Mona Chalabi

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This reminds me of a quote from George Carlin ”Every individual set of eyes you look into gives you something, whether it’s a blank wall or an infinite regress of barbershop mirrors. Just as fascinating. There’s something in all individuals. I make room for them physically- even though I might want to get away after a minute and a half. People are wonderful one at a time. Each of them has an entire hologram of the universe somewhere within them.” Last Words, George Carlin, p. 283

"Dig into the deviations" - great quote!

I understand the point, but you are mixing two ways of research up. One is the macro-level. This is the big statistical data numbers you talked about where averages come into play. The other is the micro-level where individual stories are the main focus. These two categories are completely different and the conclusions of the scientist who are conducting both research catagories are vastly different. You cant compare apples (big data research) with oranges (personal, individual, micro level research). Both have their pros and cons, so I agree with you on the need to focus on the outliers as well as the "bigger picture".

Not all who wander are lost ~ The riddle of the strider ~ JRR Tolkien

The smoking point is kinda weird. like sure, there is another problem and that has to be fixed but like from 46% (total average) to 21%("worst" subset) is still amazing. The problem is not looking at averages but thinking that it tells the whole story. funny enough the 21% is still an average.

one can feel that unconditional love of that girl to her mother when her voice trembles a little bit in the end))

I like the overall idea to focus more on deviations but I don't know if I like the term "lost birds" because it subtly implies that they should be helped to merge with the flock or somehow brought more into line with averageness. Sometimes the outliers are the leading edge of a positive movement, like in 10 or 20 years, where they are will become the new average. If non-smokers were the outliers in the 1960's, should they have been persuaded or guided or even manipulated or forced into joining the flock of smokers? The birds flying solo aren't always lost, sometimes they are scouts or vanguards. In any bell curve (lets say school test scores) there are the long tails of above average and below average. Certainly the below average might need extra help to reach functionality and proficiency. But for the above average, the goal shouldn't be to move them backwards toward the majority. And in some situations, knowing which of the 'long tails' is the one that needs more help to join the flock, or which is actually fine and does not need any meddling but mostly just needs tolerance and understanding of their differentness , is not always as obvious as the test score scenario.

I absolutely love the puppet! What a clever way to represent your camera-shy mom!

"But when we dig into the deviations we get to see the bigger picture". I love that. In a sense the outlier are important, stop ignoring them or degrading their existence. Important, at least if you want a realistic sense of reality.

Very interesting take on the aspects. I think data has be analysed on different parameters. Generalization is the biggest problem in todays world - it makes it seems that its normal. It is the biggest problem.

I love looking at data in different and interesting ways. This was cool!

I'm in the middle of a statistics college course and we just went over how to calculate a regression line within a scatterplot, then low and behold I randomly watch this video that just so happens to be all about statistics and everything I've been learning. Pretty cool.

I'd love to hear more about this. It's a fascinating topic! I've seen another talk about body statistics where they explained that you only need a handful of parameters before it becomes impossible to actually find someone that matches the average of said parameters.

Absurd, average is an average, confirms the not average and that is a truth miracle in method.

Lucky for the rest of the world, a family of lost birds has sung loudly enough to let us find them, and find them benefactors indeed! Thank you for all the nourishment you bring to human minds, Mona. Cheers! -Phill, Las Vegas

Great talk , thank you, And I hope your amazing mother get to have grandchildren

Thank you for that wonderful perspective. And I finally learned how to read a scatter plot!

There's so many opportunities and experiences in the world we have to take the average. No time to investigate the oddities in life, unless of course that topic resonates with you.

Cool video, great message.