ABSTRACT
Sampling is the process by which inference is made to the whole by examining only a part. It is woven into the fabric of our personal and public lives. In some cultures, a couple enters into a marriage partnership on the basis of a short courtship. With a single grain of rice, an Asian village housewife tests if all the rice in the pot has boiled; from a cup of tea, a teataster determines the quality of the brand of tea; medicine dosages are set on sampling investigations; and a sample of moon rocks provides scientists with information on the origin of the moon.
