Problem: I read this background article the other day: False precision (also called overprecision, fake precision, misplaced precision and spurious precision) occurs when numerical data are presented in a manner that implies better precision than is justified; since precision is a limit to accuracy, this often leads to overconfidence in the accuracy, named precision bias.[1] I am facing a new situation today: David has been working for the government for many years. His expertise is in statistics. He analyzes numerical data to help lawmakers make better decisions. He has now two sets of data in front of him, data set A and data set B. His evaluation finds that data set A is subject to false precision, but data set B is not subject to false precision. He has to decide which data set should be presented to the lawmakers. Using the knowledge I acquired from the background article, how should I answer correctly the following question regarding my new situation: Would lawmakers make better decisions or worse decisions with data set A when accuracy matters?

A: worse decisions

Problem: I read this background article the other day: Some of Antarctica has been warming up; particularly strong warming has been noted on the Antarctic Peninsula. A study by Eric Steig published in 2009 noted for the first time that the continent-wide average surface temperature trend of Antarctica is slightly positive at >0.05 C (0.09 F) per decade from 1957 to 2006. This study also noted that West Antarctica has warmed by more than 0.1 C (0.2 F) per decade in the last 50 years, and this warming is strongest in winter and spring. This is partly offset by autumn cooling in East Antarctica. There is evidence from one study that Antarctica is warming as a result of human carbon dioxide emissions, but this remains ambiguous. The amount of surface warming in West Antarctica, while large, has not led to appreciable melting at the surface, and is not directly affecting the West Antarctic Ice Sheet's contribution to sea level. Instead the recent increases in glacier outflow are believed to be due to an inflow of warm water from the deep ocean, just off the continental shelf. The net contribution to sea level from the Antarctic Peninsula is more likely to be a direct result of the much greater atmospheric warming there.In 2002 the Antarctic Peninsula's Larsen-B ice shelf collapsed. Between 28 February and 8 March 2008, about 570 km2 (220 sq mi) of ice from the Wilkins Ice Shelf on the southwest part of the peninsula collapsed, putting the remaining 15,000 km2 (5,800 sq mi) of the ice shelf at risk. The ice was being held back by a "thread" of ice about 6 km (4 mi) wide, prior to its collapse on 5 April 2009. According to NASA, the most widespread Antarctic surface melting of the past 30 years occurred in 2005, when an area of ice comparable in size to California briefly melted and refroze; this may have resulted from temperatures rising to as high as 5 C (41 F).A study published in Nature Geoscience in 2013 (online in December 2012) identified central West Antarctica as one of the fastest-warming regions on Earth. The researchers present a complete temperature... I am facing a new situation today: Two teams of researches studied Antarctica's climate. The team studied two different regions. The US team studied East Antarctica, while the Swiss team studied West Antarctica. Using the knowledge I acquired from the background article, how should I answer correctly the following question regarding my new situation: Which team learned about a region that shows stronger warming in winter?

A: Swiss

Problem: I read this background article the other day: Carbon dioxide is the most significant long-lived greenhouse gas in Earth's atmosphere. Since the Industrial Revolution anthropogenic emissions primarily from use of fossil fuels and deforestation have rapidly increased its concentration in the atmosphere, leading to global warming. Carbon dioxide also causes ocean acidification because it dissolves in water to form carbonic acid. I am facing a new situation today: Ben and Andy researched significant greenhouse gasses in Earth's atmosphere. Andy researched more about carbon dioxide, while Ben researched methane gas. Using the knowledge I acquired from the background article, how should I answer correctly the following question regarding my new situation: Which researcher studied more about deforestation?

A: Andy

Problem: I read this background article the other day: Genetically modified organisms (GMO) are organisms whose genetic material has been altered by genetic engineering techniques generally known as recombinant DNA technology. Genetic engineering has expanded the genes available to breeders to utilize in creating desired germlines for new crops. Increased durability, nutritional content, insect and virus resistance and herbicide tolerance are a few of the attributes bred into crops through genetic engineering. For some, GMO crops cause food safety and food labeling concerns. Numerous countries have placed restrictions on the production, import or use of GMO foods and crops. Currently a global treaty, the Biosafety Protocol, regulates the trade of GMOs. There is ongoing discussion regarding the labeling of foods made from GMOs, and while the EU currently requires all GMO foods to be labeled, the US does not.Herbicide-resistant seed has a gene implanted into its genome that allows the plants to tolerate exposure to herbicides, including glyphosate. These seeds allow the farmer to grow a crop that can be sprayed with herbicides to control weeds without harming the resistant crop. Herbicide-tolerant crops are used by farmers worldwide. With the increasing use of herbicide-tolerant crops, comes an increase in the use of glyphosate-based herbicide sprays. In some areas glyphosate resistant weeds have developed, causing farmers to switch to other herbicides. Some studies also link widespread glyphosate usage to iron deficiencies in some crops, which is both a crop production and a nutritional quality concern, with potential economic and health implications.Other GMO crops used by growers include insect-resistant crops, which have a gene from the soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), which produces a toxin specific to insects. These crops resist damage by insects. Some believe that similar or better pest-resistance traits can be acquired through traditional breeding practices, and resistance to various pests can be gained through hybridization or cross-pollination... I am facing a new situation today: Keith is a biotech scientist. He had developed a GMO crop that he labeled as crop A. To see how his GMO crop compare with another crop he selected crop B. Crop B was a non-GMO crop. Keith needed to find the pros and cons of both crops. Using the knowledge I acquired from the background article, how should I answer correctly the following question regarding my new situation: Would crop A more likely or less likely be virus resistant than crop B?

A:
more likely