Sorry, but I can't identify the Roger Bacon quotation.
You didn't ask, but the Babbage quotation comes from his autobiography.
However, he should have known that there are iterative methods that can
improve on lousy guesses. Many Stata users depend on such methods every
time whenever they use -ml-, unknowingly or not.
Ronan Conroy
Roger Bacon (1214-1294) observed that we learn twice: once when we
observe the general rule, and again when we examine the exceptions.
While I was trying to source this quotation (and I didn't, but I bet
Nick Cox knows!), I came across this gem:
Babbage, Charles (1792-1871)
"On two occasions I have been asked [by members of Parliament],
'Pray, Mr. Babbage, if you put into the machine wrong figures, will
the right answers come out?' I am not able rightly to apprehend the
kind of confusion of ideas that could provoke such a question."
P Before printing, think about the environment
=================================
Ronan Conroy
[email protected]
Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland
Epidemiology Department,
120 St Stephen's Green, Dublin 2, Ireland
+353 (0)1 402 2431
+353 (0)87 799 97 95
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ronanconroy/sets/72157601895416740/
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