> Have you noticed that the mainstream public-level discussion of almost any topic never progresses farther than a point estimate? [...] Variance isn't even that much nuance, because it is also just a point estimate for the variability of a distribution, not even its shape.
Next time you're doing something that isn't a professional STEM job, see how far you can get through your day without adding or multiplying.
Unless you're totting up your score in a board game or something of that ilk, you'll be amazed at how accommodating our society is to people who can't add or multiply.
Sure, when you're in the supermarket you can add up your purchases as you shop, if you want to. But if you don't want to, you can just buy about the same things every week for about the same price. Or keep a rough total of the big items. Or you can put things back once you see the total at the till. Or you can 'click and collect' to know exactly what the bill will be.
You don't see mainstream discussion of variance because 90% of the population don't know WTF a variance is.
Next time you're doing something that isn't a professional STEM job, see how far you can get through your day without adding or multiplying.
Unless you're totting up your score in a board game or something of that ilk, you'll be amazed at how accommodating our society is to people who can't add or multiply.
Sure, when you're in the supermarket you can add up your purchases as you shop, if you want to. But if you don't want to, you can just buy about the same things every week for about the same price. Or keep a rough total of the big items. Or you can put things back once you see the total at the till. Or you can 'click and collect' to know exactly what the bill will be.
You don't see mainstream discussion of variance because 90% of the population don't know WTF a variance is.