Re^5: Loaded die

I want to calculate the possibility, that this occures by chance to make a declaration about the clusters exceptionality.

Okay. I guess you know your business, but ... :)

An (over)estimate of the number of human cells that have ever been is 100 billion humans * 100 trillion cells each = 10^25. So, it seems to me that a probability of occurrence much below 1/10^25--ie. a one-time mutation amongst the entire human biomass--is as close to zero probability as makes no difference.

And anything 10^75 less frequent than that, just a meaningless statistic. Even if combined with other meaningful probabilities; if additive it will change the result by such a tiny amount as to be entirely swamped by the noise of experimental error; if multiplicative, it will reduce certainty to impossibility.

Of course, humans aren't the only species. Drosophila are billions of times more populous, but then their genomes is 200,000 times smaller. You're still talking occurrence due to neutrino damage rather evolution.

I'll shut up now :)

Examine what is said, not who speaks -- Silence betokens consent -- Love the truth but pardon error.

"Science is about questioning the status quo. Questioning authority".

In the absence of evidence, opinion is indistinguishable from prejudice.

Comment on Re^5: Loaded die

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Re^6: Loaded die by Microcebus (Beadle) on Mar 28, 2011 at 19:09 UTC
Of course, the clusters in question are not random assemblies and the difference of 1/10^80 to 1/10^90 can be a hint towards a distortive effect of multiple gene coppies that do not belong to the cluster but lay within its boundaries.	[reply]