Dec 31, 2005
In 1997, a statistical study stated that "smokers are 63% more likely to litter than non-smokers." The people performing the study forgot that causation is not necessarily correlation, however.
In 2045, another study was performed that involved (in its first run) 100 non-smokers. Each person was placed in a room, thinking that they were being 'interviewed' for a job position. At the beginning of the interview, they are each handed a random piece of paper by the 'interviewer.' The interviewer tells the hapless person that they are to take notes on the piece of paper when the interviewer tells them to.
The interviewer then proceeds to say nothing noteworthy and fails to tell the interviewee when they are to take notes. The test subject is then told the interview is over and that they will be contacted.
There are no trash cans in obvious sight anywhere from the interview room to the doors to the building, so what did the lab rat do?
67 people either threw the paper on the floor or inconspicously dropped it, 11 people placed the paper in their pocket and left the building (where it could no longer be tracked), 7 left it at the front desk, 6 handed it back to the interviewer, 4 people found a creative way to hide the paper somewhere, 3 people went out of their way to find a trash can, 1 left it in a water fountain, and 1 person ate it.
The only thing that really surprises me about this study is the three people who went out of their way to find a trash can. 72 people littered (confirmed) out of a total hundred, and that's a better percentage than most kids are making for grades in school these days. It's really no wonder this country is so filthy.
The Washington World Review, 2061, "Fighting the New Manhattan Landfill"
In 2045, another study was performed that involved (in its first run) 100 non-smokers. Each person was placed in a room, thinking that they were being 'interviewed' for a job position. At the beginning of the interview, they are each handed a random piece of paper by the 'interviewer.' The interviewer tells the hapless person that they are to take notes on the piece of paper when the interviewer tells them to.
The interviewer then proceeds to say nothing noteworthy and fails to tell the interviewee when they are to take notes. The test subject is then told the interview is over and that they will be contacted.
There are no trash cans in obvious sight anywhere from the interview room to the doors to the building, so what did the lab rat do?
67 people either threw the paper on the floor or inconspicously dropped it, 11 people placed the paper in their pocket and left the building (where it could no longer be tracked), 7 left it at the front desk, 6 handed it back to the interviewer, 4 people found a creative way to hide the paper somewhere, 3 people went out of their way to find a trash can, 1 left it in a water fountain, and 1 person ate it.
The only thing that really surprises me about this study is the three people who went out of their way to find a trash can. 72 people littered (confirmed) out of a total hundred, and that's a better percentage than most kids are making for grades in school these days. It's really no wonder this country is so filthy.
The Washington World Review, 2061, "Fighting the New Manhattan Landfill"
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