Comments on: The Observer Effect and Using Google for Social Science http://www.coyoteblog.com/coyote_blog/2009/09/the-observer-effect-and-using-google-for-social-science.html Dispatches from a Small Business Sun, 21 Mar 2010 18:55:32 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Linda Morgan http://www.coyoteblog.com/coyote_blog/2009/09/the-observer-effect-and-using-google-for-social-science.html/comment-page-1#comment-23739 Linda Morgan Tue, 29 Sep 2009 12:58:38 +0000 http://www.coyoteblog.com/?p=9142#comment-23739 Nevermind. Now I'm getting 283,000 hits for "number may be lower." I accessed Google from another page. Faith restored. Sort of. Hmmmmm. Nevermind. Now I’m getting 283,000 hits for “number may be lower.” I accessed Google from another page.

Faith restored. Sort of. Hmmmmm.

]]> By: Linda Morgan http://www.coyoteblog.com/coyote_blog/2009/09/the-observer-effect-and-using-google-for-social-science.html/comment-page-1#comment-23738 Linda Morgan Tue, 29 Sep 2009 12:47:23 +0000 http://www.coyoteblog.com/?p=9142#comment-23738 For me, just now, "true number may be lower" got 5180 hits. However, "actual number may be lower" got 127,000 hits. But get this. Stripping the modifier and entering only "number may be lower" snagged a mere 745 hits. How the heck could that be? Seriously, wouldn't it have to appear at least 127,000 times, just for the "actual" phrase above? Plus 5180 more times for the "true" version? My faith is being shaken here. Something more pernicious than the Observer Effect is afoot. Still, shaken certainties aside, great post, as usual. For me, just now, “true number may be lower” got 5180 hits. However, “actual number may be lower” got 127,000 hits.

But get this. Stripping the modifier and entering only “number may be lower” snagged a mere 745 hits.

How the heck could that be? Seriously, wouldn’t it have to appear at least 127,000 times, just for the “actual” phrase above? Plus 5180 more times for the “true” version?

My faith is being shaken here. Something more pernicious than the Observer Effect is afoot.

Still, shaken certainties aside, great post, as usual.

]]> By: Roy http://www.coyoteblog.com/coyote_blog/2009/09/the-observer-effect-and-using-google-for-social-science.html/comment-page-1#comment-23724 Roy Mon, 28 Sep 2009 17:14:21 +0000 http://www.coyoteblog.com/?p=9142#comment-23724 I think you have more accurately described Heisenberg's discovery than does the view which asserts the universe is uncertain. Put another way: the Uncertainty Principle says that there is a finite limit to the precision of a measurement because the measuring disturbs that which is measured rather than says that that which is measured is governed by chance. Put a still another, perhaps more final way: there exist limits to what people can know. I think you have more accurately described Heisenberg’s discovery than does the view which asserts the universe is uncertain. Put another way: the Uncertainty Principle says that there is a finite limit to the precision of a measurement because the measuring disturbs that which is measured rather than says that that which is measured is governed by chance. Put a still another, perhaps more final way: there exist limits to what people can know.

]]> By: delurking http://www.coyoteblog.com/coyote_blog/2009/09/the-observer-effect-and-using-google-for-social-science.html/comment-page-1#comment-23723 delurking Mon, 28 Sep 2009 16:52:04 +0000 http://www.coyoteblog.com/?p=9142#comment-23723 This is funny. I put in "the true number may be smaller" and got 2 hits. One said that about a spending growth estimate. The other was a physics paper. This is funny. I put in “the true number may be smaller” and got 2 hits. One said that about a spending growth estimate. The other was a physics paper.

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