[Radio Wrangler]

The statistics are fascinating, and the experimental confirmation is good.

There is one factor which can spoil things, though. The statistical distribution has to have a central peak which is accurate, or your result has convergence around this different value. Beware of parts sold as different grades. If all the best parts are selected out and sold more profitably, the remaining parts have a pdf with a hole in the middle. This ceases to be damaging if the twin peaks are symmetrically disposed around the perfect value. Systematic errors can also skew the pdf peak, so all the parts in one batch, or all the parts from one production machine could tend in the same direction.

Lots of theories adding worries, but in the end, Mark's measurements showed he got a real improvement. Neat bit of construction, too.

David