Today’s fine distinction is “Accuracy” versus “Precision.”
So, to be “accurate” has to do with how close you are to the correct answer.
To be “precise” has to do with how close or fine you are measuring.
Fuzzy. So, here’s the example the book uses. A jar has, in fact, 76 jelly beans inside it. David guesses there are 125 inside. Lucy guesses between 50 and 100. David is precise, but not accurate. Lucy is accurate, but not precise.
I get it.
The two words do actually pertain to adjacent but very distinct meanings.
It does get more interesting than just that, however. In science, “accuracy” has to do with how fine your measurements are—which above we would attribute to the word “precision”—whereas “precision” has to do with how close your readings are to one another, or how consistent they are. FASCINATING.
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A decent writing day. Not great…but better than yesterday. Work was busy. Like, I am really busy right now. And tonight, we went out to see Joe for his birthday. A steakhouse! It was grand.
That’s all I got. Night night.