# Does 2 + 2 = 5 for very large values of 2? - Nitpick

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-2-2-5-for-very-large-values-of-2-nitpick/714444>\
**Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\
**Created:** [March 7, 2015, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-2-2-5-for-very-large-values-of-2-nitpick/714444 "2015-03-07T15:49:10Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![am77494](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d2c977/32.png) [@am77494](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/am77494)\
**Post date:** [March 7, 2015, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-2-2-5-for-very-large-values-of-2-nitpick/714444/1 "2015-03-07T15:49:10Z")

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I expected Cecil to know the difference between precision and accuracy. While, the article was well written, it probably was written by a mathematician rather than a statistician or engineer familiar with measurements. The statement:

_ **“There’s no such thing as absolute precision.”** _

makes little sense. Since [precision](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accuracy_and_precision)is about the spread of the data.

Yeah - I know, you’ll say it was written for lay people - but come on …

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**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\
**Post date:** [March 7, 2015, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-2-2-5-for-very-large-values-of-2-nitpick/714444/2 "2015-03-07T16:50:12Z")

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[The article](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/1382/does-2-2-5-for-very-large-values-of-2) was in fact written by a mathematician instead of by Cecil, namely **Dex** (AKA **C K Dexter Haven** ), and he got it right: Expressing a number as 2 instead of 2.47 is a lack of precision, not a lack of accuracy.

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**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\
**Post date:** [March 7, 2015, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-2-2-5-for-very-large-values-of-2-nitpick/714444/3 "2015-03-07T18:45:29Z")

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Are you saying that Cecil Adams, smartest blah blah blah, is not a mathematician? :dubious:

Party line here is that he’s THE guy for EVERYTHING, Bub, and if you do not take that to heart, believe it in your heart, and spread the word of his omniscience everywhere and every day there’s no romm for you on the SDMB.

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**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\
**Post date:** [March 7, 2015, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-2-2-5-for-very-large-values-of-2-nitpick/714444/4 "2015-03-07T22:38:31Z")

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But does he subcontract math questions to Marilyn?