Average Age on PF: What's the Answer?

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AI Thread Summary
The discussion centers around a poll aimed at determining the average age of users on Physics Forums (PF). Participants share their ages and engage in light-hearted banter about aging, with some humorously claiming to be "older than dirt." The conversation touches on the demographics of the forum, noting a bimodal age distribution, with younger users seeking help and older users participating due to their experience. The lack of participation from those aged 35-44 is attributed to career and family commitments, suggesting that this age group may have less time for online engagement. Participants express curiosity about statistical analysis of the poll results, discussing mean and median ages, and consider the implications of their findings. The thread also features playful interactions and jokes, reflecting a friendly community atmosphere.

How old are you?

  • Total voters
    110
Char. Limit
Gold Member
Messages
1,222
Reaction score
23
Simple question, right? I want to see what the average age bracket on PF is, and figured this would be the best way to do it!
 
Physics news on Phys.org
I am seventeen years old.
 
And poll created! Just to let you know, this is a public poll. People CAN see your answers.
 
I'm older than dirt.
 
Evo said:
I'm older than dirt.

Are we talking topsoil or lithosphere? :biggrin:

*runs*
 
Evo said:
I'm older than dirt.

The question is, how old is dirt?
 
I'm so old, it takes me several seconds to figure out which bar goes to which age group, in the graph above :redface:.
 
60, old enough to know better and young enough to do it anyway.
 
I am bit unsure about mine. Sometimes, I find myself counting my age on fingers .. and I never remember my age. Other times, I find myself reading about "older adults activities".
 
  • #10
Jimmy Snyder said:
60, old enough to know better and young enough to do it anyway.

Oh Jimmy, that's sexy! (the 60 part)
 
  • #11
All PFers are great o:), but especially looking at the young folks here, I get a good feeling about the future. Such a wonderful group of smart, funny, and kind people :smile:!
 
  • #12
20 going on 21
 
  • #13
52 and playing with a full deck.
 
  • #14
48 but I feel I am 90.
 
  • #15
Lacy33 said:
Oh Jimmy, that's sexy! (the 60 part)
I should also point out that I can still sit in a chair for long periods without ill effect.
 
  • #16
Jimmy Snyder said:
I should also point out that I can still sit in a chair for long periods without ill effect.

Glad to know I have friends in common!

I still climb 14-ers. :)
 
  • #17
lisab said:
I'm so old, it takes me several seconds to figure out which bar goes to which age group, in the graph above :redface:.

Oh, that! Oops.
 
  • #18
I'm an old geezer but I've still got my own tooth and other bits.
 
  • #19
Loren Booda said:
52 and playing with a full deck.

What do you call an event where you find a woman at a bar to spend the night with?

A: 52 pick up.

Sorry, your reference to cards got me, and I doubt that you're a barfly type (probably married I'm guessing). I've spent too much time in the Lame Jokes thread...


@Mugaliens: Ahhh, you got banned! Stop that!

@Jimmy: Teach me maestro, I tend to fall asleep... and I have noooo excuse.
 
  • #20
nismaratwork said:
What do you call an event where you find a woman at a bar to spend the night with?

A: 52 pick up.

Sorry, your reference to cards got me, and I doubt that you're a barfly type (probably married I'm guessing). I've spent too much time in the Lame Jokes thread...

I feel married to my girlfriend, mostly for better.
 
  • #21
Loren Booda said:
I feel married to my girlfriend, mostly for better.

Works for me.
 
  • #22
lisab said:
I'm so old, it takes me several seconds to figure out which bar goes to which age group, in the graph above :redface:.

I was just glad the sections were large enough that I didn't have to think much.
 
  • #23
This poll kind of surprises me! :)
 
  • #24
So who's got a good theory to explain the bimodal distribution? Small sample or something real?

I have a partial, but I'll wait...
 
  • #25
I think it's skewed not bimodal.
 
  • #26
Skewed? Can you elaborate?
 
  • #27
Obviously, many 35-44 year olds are arrogant and so do not go to Physics Forums.

And this why there are less 35-44 year olds than either of the two neighboring areas. :biggrin:

EDIT: But a more realistic theory is the large number of people at a young age are people seeking help for problems who then decided to stay. On the other hands, there is another peak at 45-54 because these people are experienced and so came to Physics Forums to talk to other experienced people.
 
  • #28
I was ignoring the 35-44 group. :biggrin:

But, around 35-44 you are at the height of your career, marry, and have children. That would explain why there are so few of them.

Around 45-54 your children go to universities and you don't have much things left to do. It will perfect bimodal about some decades from now when old age group will also be competent with computers/internet. I am expecting that old people will be using as much internet as the 18-24 group.
 
  • #29
rootX said:
But, around 35-44 you are at the height of your career, marry, and have children.
That was most of my partial theory. On average, people start marrying off in the late 20s. My guess is that among scientists, this age may even be a little higher still. Also, if you're in Academia in the 35-44 age range, there's a reasonable chance you've not yet made tenure, so you've not got time to waste on frivolities like PF, and if you do, you probably stay out of GD.
 
Last edited:
  • #30
I'm surprised that we have so few above 65... that's... well... surprising.
 
  • #31
nismaratwork said:
I've spent too much time in the Lame Jokes thread...
No, it can't be! :cry:
There's no such thing as spending too much time in Lame Jokes!
He's been corrupted!
No no no no no no no! :cry:
Its the evil plot to take over the world!
Come back to us and rejoin the Humor States Comedy Force!
Ok, enough of that. :biggrin:

I was looking at the poll, and I was thinking, "They're 15?" then I realized I was looking at the vote count. :smile:
So that means Jimmy Snyder is 7 and Borek is 12.
I noticed there's no units on those numbers.
So what if someone votes according to their age in Mercury years, or Moon days?
Char. Limit said:
Simple question, right?
No. Lack of units makes it highly complex. :-p
Evo hasn't voted. So we can't extrapolate the age of dirt.
 
  • #32
Evo can read gray... you're doomed now lad... dooooooomed! :biggrin:

Besides, have you seen evo's picture? She's not old, she's... cute.
 
  • #33
I noticed that none of the mentors who have voted are in the 18-25 range.

I demand representation!
 
  • #34
Start a revolution! :biggrin:
 
  • #35
We are the largest group after all. And as long as we stay peaceful, I think we'll win.
 
  • #36
Char. Limit said:
I noticed that none of the mentors who have voted are in the 18-25 range.
It makes perfect sense! :biggrin:
 
  • #37
I nominate jarednjames to be the representative mentor for our age group.
 
  • #38
rootX said:
It makes perfect sense! :biggrin:
None are codgers like me, either. Does that make sense? Just asking.
 
  • #39
Char. Limit said:
I nominate jarednjames to be the representative mentor for our age group.

I thought he was already!
 
  • #40
Char. Limit said:
I nominate jarednjames to be the representative mentor for our age group.

Accord.
 
  • #41
nismaratwork said:
Evo can read gray... you're doomed now lad... dooooooomed! :biggrin:
So are you:
nismaratwork said:
Are we talking topsoil or lithosphere? :biggrin:

*runs*
 
  • #42
I would like to point out that whatever age group I vote on is the coolest and most awesomeest.
 
  • #43
FtlIsAwesome said:
So are you:

Thanks man... I needed that. :rolleyes:

If one go down, we all go down eh? :smile:
 
  • #44
nismaratwork said:
If one go down, we all go down eh? :smile:
Abandon ship!
Be advised that this is not a naval vessel. Swimming skill is irrelevant.
We're jumping into a vacuum.
 
  • #45
So, what are we defining as our population here?
 
  • #46
jhae2.718 said:
So, what are we defining as our population here?
State of PF
Population: 262,034


Wait, maybe that's not what he means... :-p
 
  • #47
To clarify, are we counting every registered user on PF as our population? Or just the "active" ones, where some arbitrary definition is used to differentiate between active and inactive.

Either way, the current level of 71 responses is probably not statistically useful. (Unless the number of "core" PF users is much less than I'm estimating.)
 
  • #48
jhae2.718 said:
To clarify, are we counting every registered user on PF as our population? Or just the "active" ones, where some arbitrary definition is used to differentiate between active and inactive.

Either way, the current level of 71 responses is probably not statistically useful. (Unless the number of "core" PF users is much less than I'm estimating.)

Actually we're just counting the ones who vote in this poll :-p.
 
  • #49
In that case, I vote we use our sample of 71 people to extrapolate over the entirety of the members of PF.
 
  • #50
Gokul43201 said:
That was most of my partial theory. On average, people start marrying off in the late 20s. My guess is that among scientists, this age may even be a little higher still. Also, if you're in Academia in the 35-44 age range, there's a reasonable chance you've not yet made tenure, so you've not got time to waste on frivolities like PF, and if you do, you probably stay out of GD.

That sounds reasonable. I wonder how it would look if the bin sizes were different.
 

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