10.22 Textual Evidence and Inference Worksheet

A report on academic research funding warns that success rates can be misread. The report notes that if a funding agency receives far more proposals than it can support, even excellent proposals will be rejected. It also explains that some fields submit more proposals per researcher, which can lower apparent success rates without indicating lower quality. The report suggests comparing success rates alongside the size of the applicant pool and the agency's total budget rather than treating the percentage alone as a score of merit.

A science communication guide explains how uncertainty is reported in forecasts. The guide notes that a hurricane track cone does not mean the storm will fill the entire cone; rather, it represents a range of possible paths based on past forecast error. It also explains that people often focus on the thin center line and ignore the cone, leading them to underestimate risk if the line shifts. The guide recommends stating what is known, what is uncertain, and what actions make sense across multiple possible outcomes.

A history article analyzes why a reform movement seemed to 'fail' in the short term. The movement's proposed law did not pass when it was first introduced. However, the article shows that activists built new organizations, trained future leaders, and shifted public language by popularizing terms that later appeared in legislation. Two decades later, a revised version of the law passed, and several of the original activists served as advisers. The article argues that judging success only by the first vote misses slower forms of influence.