A-Z Popular New Top Search »
Data
 

Apples & Oranges Explained

 , updated on
Apples and oranges is a common term to describe an attempted comparison between things that can't be fairly compared. The term can also describe a false analogy.
Consider a comparison of a human to a mobile phone based on how many numbers each can add per second. The phone will add faster but this comparison is misleading because it is believed that humans process information several million times faster than a modern smartphone. The information processed by the human brain has been estimated as high as 1025 FLOPS this would cost around $1 trillion an hour according to 2015 cloud computing prices.
Overview: Apples And Oranges
Type
Statistical Fallacy
Definition
A comparison or analogy that is technically valid but that has little or no practical meaning. Implies that a comparison has been designed to be misleading.
Related Concepts

Statistical Analysis

This is the complete list of articles we have written about statistical analysis.
Cohort
Data Science
Distributions
Exponential Growth
Forecasting
Growth
Large Numbers
Misuse of Statistics
Negative Correlation
Populations
Positive Correlation
Regression Analysis
Research
Samples
Statistical Model
Statistics
Structured Data
More ...
If you enjoyed this page, please consider bookmarking Simplicable.
 

References

Grace, K. "Brain performance in FLOPS–AI Impacts", 2015.
Bostrom, Nick, and Anders Sandberg. "Whole brain emulation: a roadmap.", 2008.

Correlation vs Causation

The difference explained.

Cognitive Biases

A list of common cognitive biases explained.

Top

Simplicable is a study site that has been updated daily since 2010.

Business Theory

A list of interesting business theories.

Knowledge Work

A definition of knowledge work with examples.

Office Politics

A list of social processes, absurdities and strategies related to office politics.

Product Development

A guide to product development.

Types Of Knowledge

The differences between types of knowledge.

Trough Of Sorrow

An overview of the trough of sorrow.

Business Models

A list of common business models.

Marketing

A list of key marketing strategies.

Competitive Advantage

A few sources of competitive advantage for businesses.
The most popular articles on Simplicable in the past day.

New Articles

Recent posts or updates on Simplicable.
Site Map