I came across this article about some of the percentages quoted in drug advertisements. I have known for a long time that people with an adgenda (not just drug companies) use percentages to make things seem more impressive than they are. The information in the article is a good indicator of why any argument that contains percentages should be immediately followed by a question. "What are the raw numbers."
For example, if you buy one Powerball ticket, you have a 1 in 146 million chance of winning. If you buy two Powerball tickets, you have a 1 in 73 million chance of winning. That is a 50% improvement. Does that mean you ought to rush up to Ardmore and buy two Powerball tickets?
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