The Built-In Limit to Rounding Off Numbers

Is there a limit to rounding off numbers? Yes there is. The digits after the decimal point reflects the degree of uncertainty we have inherent in the measurement (and thus in the number) itself. For example, 10.7 is less exact, less accurate, than 10.743. Thus we can say that we are “more sure” about 10.743;…

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"Convenience" is the Main Reason Why We Round Off Numbers

© 2010 Ugur Akinci We technical communicators deal with numbers all day long. We write them, calculate them, interpret them. We also round them off. “What’s the best way to round off numbers?” a reader asked. And I did some thinking about it because I realized I haven’t given it enough thought in the past.…

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Finding Your Way Back: Re-Entering the Science Work Force

(Excerpts) By Brianna Blaser In the idealized career path, a scientist goes straight from earning an undergraduate degree to graduate school, and then on to a postdoc and eventual employment, without breaks between positions. For various reasons, however, not all scientists’ career paths are nearly so linear. Although the most common reason scientists might leave…

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