Is Jon Stewart Reading My Mind?
Understanding "Regression to the Mean"
We all have an innate understanding of the concept that is technically described as "regression to the mean."
It was once wonderfully illustrated in an episode of King of the Hill. In an early scene, Khan, Boomhauer, and Bill are standing side by side in the alley on a blustery day. Khan is wearing a big cowboy hat. A gust of wind comes along, plucks the cowboy hat from Khan's head, gives it a single twirl over Boomhauer's head, and drops it square atop Bill's head.
The men are amazed! They decide that they have to videotape it for YouTube so that they can become internet stars. What follows is a long series of attempts to recreate the event, to no avail.
