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Apples & Oranges Explained

 , updated on May 27, 2018
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
TypeStatistical Fallacy
DefinitionA 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 ConceptsLogic
Analogy
Cognitive Biases

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References

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

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