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Mathematics Goes to the Movies

by Burkard Polster and Marty Ross

The Arrival (1996)

SCIENTIST 1: A 700 percent increase over the last five years. (We see a table of percentages of different gases. The 700 percent increase is the sum(!) of all these percentages). How can that be.
SCIENTIST 2: My very question, just how accurate is this data you sent us, Alana.
SCIENTIST 1: Hard to say we cobbled it together from ground stations, weather balloon, uncle ???, some of your own numbers are in there.
SCIENTIST 2: Satellite data?
SCIENTIST 1: NASA's satellite has a bum wing.
SCIENTIST 2: Well, you obviously got some ratty data.