this post was submitted on 04 Jul 2025
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We're talking about the average life expectancy of an empire. It's a fairly straightforward calculation if one has all the data ready.
Sure, we could also work out the average life expectancy of a mammal.
But, would it really be useful, predictive or meaningful, given the variety and variability of the conditions the data emerges from?
Yes. The average life expectancy of a human for instance is a useful statistic in healthcare, social services, financial and retirement planning, etc.
Yes, because of the relatively similar conditions and needs of humans
Something empires don't have!
Interesting... 😂
It's not really that straightforward though, is it? Firstly is it a mean or a median average? What counts as an empire? When do we date the rise and fall of specific empires? These are not questions with straightforwards answers. Would Hitler's Germany count as an empire? How many Roman empires were there?
I wish liberals could actually read.
I wish more people understood statistics. Did you learn about moments?
You're all worried about statistics and the poor guy can't even read.
It being an average number, pulled out of it's context, doesn't necessarily mean anything beyond just the average
Regardless, that is the number we are interested in.