# Why are we all the same age today 2018 these things add up to? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 2, 2018, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-we-all-the-same-age-today-2018-these-things-add-up-to/822339 "2018-10-02T22:07:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2018, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-we-all-the-same-age-today-2018-these-things-add-up-to/822339/21 "2018-10-03T13:19:27Z")
> [@Colophon](#): > > Or the politicians bemoaning the fact that 50% of schools are performing below average. It’s perfectly possible for 90% of schools to be above average (after all, more than 90 percent of adults have more than the average number of arms). ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2018, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-we-all-the-same-age-today-2018-these-things-add-up-to/822339/22 "2018-10-03T13:27:50Z")
There are three kind of people in the world: those that can count, and those that can’t. ---
**Author:** ![Saffer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saffer/32/6440_2.png) [@Saffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saffer)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2018, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-we-all-the-same-age-today-2018-these-things-add-up-to/822339/23 "2018-10-03T13:30:01Z")
As far as I am aware, ‘average’ is a general term that can include both mean and median. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2018, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-we-all-the-same-age-today-2018-these-things-add-up-to/822339/24 "2018-10-03T13:31:39Z")
> [@Saffer](#): > > As far as I am aware, ‘average’ is a general term that can include both mean and median. And mode. ---
**Author:** ![Grey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b782af/32.png) [@Grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grey)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2018, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-we-all-the-same-age-today-2018-these-things-add-up-to/822339/25 "2018-10-03T13:46:45Z")
For a normal distribution. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2018, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-we-all-the-same-age-today-2018-these-things-add-up-to/822339/26 "2018-10-03T14:47:18Z")
> [@Colophon](#): > > Or the politicians bemoaning the fact that 50% of schools are performing below average. Worse, 50% of doctors graduated in the lower half of their classes! :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2018, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-we-all-the-same-age-today-2018-these-things-add-up-to/822339/27 "2018-10-03T14:52:10Z")
> [@Dunmurry](#): > > so is it true that it is very rare however I am not convinced that it is unique and is there a mathematical reason why it happens in fact? :smack: ---
**Author:** ![JB99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/439d5e/32.png) [@JB99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JB99)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2018, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-we-all-the-same-age-today-2018-these-things-add-up-to/822339/28 "2018-10-03T14:52:21Z")
Math is hard. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2018, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-we-all-the-same-age-today-2018-these-things-add-up-to/822339/29 "2018-10-03T16:46:24Z")
> [@Bullitt](#): > > And mode. Wrong. An average is any mathematical function that takes a set of numbers and returns one and ONLY one number that [ul] [li]Is between the minimum and maximum value[/li][li]If a new data point that is smaller than the average is added to the set, the function will return a value smaller than or equal to the original value[/li][li]If a new data point that is larger than the average is added to the set, the function will return a value greater than or equal to the original value[/li][li]If a new data point that is equal to the average is added to the set, the function will return a value equal to the original value[/li][/ul] ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2018, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-we-all-the-same-age-today-2018-these-things-add-up-to/822339/30 "2018-10-03T16:59:03Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > Wrong. In colloquial usage, the mode can indeed be referred to as an “average.” Cites: From [Merriam-Webster](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/average): > [@](#): > > Definition of average (Entry 1 of 3) > 1a : a single value (such as a mean, mode, or median) that summarizes or represents the general significance of a set of unequal values > b : MEAN sense 1b From [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Average): > [@](#): > > In colloquial language, an average is a single number taken as representative of a list of numbers. Different concepts of average are used in different contexts. Often “average” refers to the arithmetic mean, the sum of the numbers divided by how many numbers are being averaged. In statistics, mean, median, and mode are all known as measures of central tendency, and in colloquial usage any of these might be called an average value. ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2018, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-we-all-the-same-age-today-2018-these-things-add-up-to/822339/31 "2018-10-03T17:09:02Z")
As above, ‘average’ doesn’t have much meaning on its own. It’s a measure of how ‘typical’ or ‘representative’ something is. In many cases, the mean or median handles this. In other cases, the mode can be this quantity. In some cases, none of these produces a representative or typical quantity. A simple example is the ‘average’ pixel on a screen full of white noise static. You can say that the ‘gray’ pixel with mean RGB values is the average but the concept of average itself is misleading in this case, even if one can compute a mean or median or mode or whatever. There’s no ‘typical’ pixel in pure white noise and while the mean value can have mathematical meaning, it only does so within some context. It’s not universal. But yes, the question in the OP is :smack:. It would not have worked with my brother until yesterday, since that was his birthday. ---
**Author:** ![Locrian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/locrian/32/14146_2.png) [@Locrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Locrian)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2018, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-we-all-the-same-age-today-2018-these-things-add-up-to/822339/32 "2018-10-03T18:16:45Z")
> [@Blakeyrat](#): > > What’s funny is it doesn’t work for me because I was born in December. I get 2017. Same here. Born 1970 + 47 = 2017. Not until your birthday are the numbers going to line up. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2018, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-we-all-the-same-age-today-2018-these-things-add-up-to/822339/33 "2018-10-03T19:16:58Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > In colloquial usage, the mode can indeed be referred to as an “average.” > > Cites: > > From [Merriam-Webster](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/average): > > From [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Average): And your cites show why mode is NOT an average. An average has only one value. A set may have multiple modes or none at all. ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Wiggler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/red_wiggler/32/13190_2.png) [@Red\_Wiggler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Wiggler)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2018, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-we-all-the-same-age-today-2018-these-things-add-up-to/822339/34 "2018-10-03T19:29:57Z")
Most of us knew that 2+2 = 4 but how many of us were really aware that 3+1 also = 4? Huh? ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2018, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-we-all-the-same-age-today-2018-these-things-add-up-to/822339/35 "2018-10-03T20:26:29Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > And your cites show why mode is NOT an average. An average has only one value. A set may have multiple modes or none at all. You’re arguing with the English language on the basis of logic or a technical definition? How long have you been speaking English? ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2018, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-we-all-the-same-age-today-2018-these-things-add-up-to/822339/36 "2018-10-03T21:14:03Z")
Mean, median, and mode have all been a type of “average” in colloquial usage as long as I’ve ever known it. When people talk about an “average person” or something being done “on average,” it can be any of those three things, depending on which supports the point they are making the best. Just right now, I googled “types of averages” and the first result, the big highlighted one, even says “There are three main types of averages: mean […] mode […] median […]” so this is hardly an atypical usage. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2018, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-we-all-the-same-age-today-2018-these-things-add-up-to/822339/37 "2018-10-03T21:20:48Z")
2017 for me. I guess that means the very fabric of the universe has been ruptured. If we can’t believe things we read on Facebook, we’re doomed. ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2018, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-we-all-the-same-age-today-2018-these-things-add-up-to/822339/38 "2018-10-03T21:21:27Z")
Mean, median and mode are all measures of central tendency. Average usually refers the first, sometimes refers to the second and rarely refers to the last. But it happens. With enough frequency to be part of the list. I’ve seen average to mean “Halfway between the maximum and minimum”, in a (light) [novel](http://www.sevenseasentertainment.com/books/didnt-i-say-to-make-my-abilities-average-in-the-next-life-light-novel-vol-1/). Though admittedly the protagonist thought that such a application of that term was forehead smacking. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2018, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-we-all-the-same-age-today-2018-these-things-add-up-to/822339/39 "2018-10-03T22:16:52Z")
> [@Red\_Wiggler](#): > > Most of us knew that 2+2 = 4 but how many of us were really aware that 3+1 also = 4? Huh? Well, it only happens in leap years. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2018, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-we-all-the-same-age-today-2018-these-things-add-up-to/822339/40 "2018-10-03T22:43:40Z")
It will never happen again that if you add your year of birth to your age you will get 2018. So the OP is wrong; it will not happen again in 2000 years. And next year you will be able to add your age to your year of birth and get … 2019. Amazing! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-we-all-the-same-age-today-2018-these-things-add-up-to/822339.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-we-all-the-same-age-today-2018-these-things-add-up-to/822339.md?page=3)