[Doug]

I thought of a green shovel.

While this is not a large enough statistical sample, by my count that is so far 1 of 8 thinking of a red hammer -- 12.5%. I don't believe that that figure will increase significantly, certainly not to anywhere near 98 percent, nor do I believe that it is true that 98 % of the population will think of a red hammer. Even if you assume that all the people that viewed this topic without responding said red hammer, you've already got 18 % "not-red hammers". Given the large array of colors and even larger array of tools, it would be a notable phenomenon if even 20 or 25 percent thought of the same item.

To me, this is an example of the so-called facts and figures that are cited far too frequently here and other similar places as absolute truth. I find it shocking how many people do not understand that just because you see something on the internet somewhere doesn't necessarily mean it's true.