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Who the fuck needs an x axis anyway (mander.xyz)
submitted 9 months ago by fossilesque@mander.xyz to c/science_memes@mander.xyz
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[-] mic_check_one_two@lemmy.dbzer0.com 15 points 9 months ago

Yeah, this is like saying “skin cancer rates have increased dramatically in the past 30 years!” Well yeah, because now we have the technology to detect it earlier. That “things increased” stat ignores the complementary “but deaths decreased dramatically” stat that immediately follows it. Before, we didn’t know people had skin cancer until it was killing them. But now, with preventative screenings, public awareness campaigns, etc, people are more likely to get checked before it is a life threatening issue.

It’s the same thing. Detection models got better, so detection rates went up.

this post was submitted on 23 Sep 2025
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