Re: [FRIAM] [sfx: Discuss] Fwd: FlowingData - Best statistics question ever
On Sat, Oct 29, 2011 at 9:12 AM, Tyler White tylerwhitedes...@gmail.comwrote: The solution depends on how you consider the answers... you can say that there are four unique answers (A, B, C, D) or you could say there are only 3 answers (25%, 50%, 60%). It's a trick question! Hahahah Tyler White¹ http://TylerWhiteDesign.com http://twitter.com/Uberousful On Oct 29, 2011, at 11:27 AM, Victoria Hughes wrote: -- Best statistics question everhttp://flowingdata.com/2011/10/28/best-statistics-question-ever/ Posted: 28 Oct 2011 01:25 AM PDT [image: Best Math Question EVAR]http://flowingdata.com/2011/10/28/best-statistics-question-ever/ By way of Raymond Johnsonhttps://plus.google.com/116264189418994838408/posts/CSXeyftovTJ, the best statistics multiple choice question ever written on a chalkboard. Try not to think too hard. [viahttps://twitter.com/#!/gnat/status/129654591200563201 ] You are subscribed to email updates from FlowingDatahttp://flowingdata.com/ To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe nowhttp://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailunsubscribe?k=oOrNU87CnRY2uf24xisa_VWjO0k . Email delivery powered by Google Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610 -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Santa Fe Complex discuss group. To post to this group, send email to disc...@sfcomplex.org To unsubscribe from this group, send email to discuss+unsubscr...@sfcomplex.org For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/a/sfcomplex.org/group/discuss -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Santa Fe Complex discuss group. To post to this group, send email to disc...@sfcomplex.org To unsubscribe from this group, send email to discuss+unsubscr...@sfcomplex.org For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/a/sfcomplex.org/group/discuss FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org
Re: [FRIAM] [sfx: Discuss] Fwd: FlowingData - Best statistics question ever
Oops fat fingered earlier email. I think this, as Tyler sez, is tricky because of the double 25. You have a 50% chance of 25, but only 25% of the other two. Like the Monty Hall, I'd like to hear a pro reason through to the answer. On Sat, Oct 29, 2011 at 9:39 AM, Owen Densmore o...@backspaces.net wrote: On Sat, Oct 29, 2011 at 9:12 AM, Tyler White tylerwhitedes...@gmail.comwrote: The solution depends on how you consider the answers... you can say that there are four unique answers (A, B, C, D) or you could say there are only 3 answers (25%, 50%, 60%). It's a trick question! Hahahah Tyler White¹ http://TylerWhiteDesign.com http://twitter.com/Uberousful FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org
Re: [FRIAM] [sfx: Discuss] Fwd: FlowingData - Best statistics question ever
Imagine it's not multiple choice... On 10/29/11 9:44 AM, Owen Densmore wrote: Oops fat fingered earlier email. I think this, as Tyler sez, is tricky because of the double 25. You have a 50% chance of 25, but only 25% of the other two. Like the Monty Hall, I'd like to hear a pro reason through to the answer. On Sat, Oct 29, 2011 at 9:39 AM, Owen Densmore o...@backspaces.net mailto:o...@backspaces.net wrote: On Sat, Oct 29, 2011 at 9:12 AM, Tyler White tylerwhitedes...@gmail.com mailto:tylerwhitedes...@gmail.com wrote: The solution depends on how you consider the answers... you can say that there are four unique answers (A, B, C, D) or you could say there are only 3 answers (25%, 50%, 60%). It's a trick question! Hahahah Tyler White¹ http://TylerWhiteDesign.com http://twitter.com/Uberousful FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org
Re: [FRIAM] [sfx: Discuss] Fwd: FlowingData - Best statistics question ever
Zero. Because the actual correct answer is herring —R On Sat, Oct 29, 2011 at 10:08 AM, Carl Tollander c...@plektyx.com wrote: Imagine it's not multiple choice... On 10/29/11 9:44 AM, Owen Densmore wrote: Oops fat fingered earlier email. I think this, as Tyler sez, is tricky because of the double 25. You have a 50% chance of 25, but only 25% of the other two. Like the Monty Hall, I'd like to hear a pro reason through to the answer. On Sat, Oct 29, 2011 at 9:39 AM, Owen Densmore o...@backspaces.netwrote: On Sat, Oct 29, 2011 at 9:12 AM, Tyler White tylerwhitedes...@gmail.comwrote: The solution depends on how you consider the answers... you can say that there are four unique answers (A, B, C, D) or you could say there are only 3 answers (25%, 50%, 60%). It's a trick question! Hahahah Tyler White¹ http://TylerWhiteDesign.com http://twitter.com/Uberousful FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org
Re: [FRIAM] [sfx: Discuss] Fwd: FlowingData - Best statistics question ever
Self-referential statements can lead to paradoxes, so one could say the question is not well-formed because it is self-referential. If, as mentioned, choice (C) were 0%, and options (A),(B),(D) were unchanged, then the question leads to a paradox. If choice (D) were 50%, and options (A), (B), (C) were unchanged, then both 25% and 50% would be consistent answers --so (A), (B) and (D) would all be defensible (but, obviously, they cannot all be correct). As it stands the answer appears to be 0% since every choice leads to a contradiction, but I would prefer the answer that the question is not well-formed. From: friam-boun...@redfish.com [friam-boun...@redfish.com] On Behalf Of Carl Tollander [c...@plektyx.com] Sent: Saturday, October 29, 2011 12:08 PM To: The Friday Morning Applied Complexity Coffee Group Subject: Re: [FRIAM] [sfx: Discuss] Fwd: FlowingData - Best statistics question ever Imagine it's not multiple choice... On 10/29/11 9:44 AM, Owen Densmore wrote: Oops fat fingered earlier email. I think this, as Tyler sez, is tricky because of the double 25. You have a 50% chance of 25, but only 25% of the other two. Like the Monty Hall, I'd like to hear a pro reason through to the answer. On Sat, Oct 29, 2011 at 9:39 AM, Owen Densmore o...@backspaces.netmailto:o...@backspaces.net wrote: On Sat, Oct 29, 2011 at 9:12 AM, Tyler White tylerwhitedes...@gmail.commailto:tylerwhitedes...@gmail.com wrote: The solution depends on how you consider the answers... you can say that there are four unique answers (A, B, C, D) or you could say there are only 3 answers (25%, 50%, 60%). It's a trick question! Hahahah Tyler White¹ http://TylerWhiteDesign.com http://twitter.com/Uberousful FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org
Re: [FRIAM] [sfx: Discuss] Fwd: FlowingData - Best statistics question ever
If we take this seriously, which I doubt we should :), I think you'd have to create a tree of probabilities much like monty hall problem. (at least if there isn't a trivial nifty solution!) So start at the root of the tree, generate a branch for choosing each of the three answers, 33.3% each. Then place three branches at each for choosing that branch: 50% for 25%, and 25% for 50% and 60%. OK, 9 branches. Now go through and add up all the probabilities that represent a right path. So for example, take 25% as the first branch, and look for the 25% in the second branch. Ditto for the other 2 possible paths. This route gives 33.3% as the solution. Hmm.. The other approach is to simply say a, b, c, d are the choices which gives the 25% Naturally the last approach is to say its a trick, or word game, or very subtle problem statement. On Sat, Oct 29, 2011 at 9:44 AM, Owen Densmore o...@backspaces.net wrote: Oops fat fingered earlier email. I think this, as Tyler sez, is tricky because of the double 25. You have a 50% chance of 25, but only 25% of the other two. Like the Monty Hall, I'd like to hear a pro reason through to the answer. On Sat, Oct 29, 2011 at 9:39 AM, Owen Densmore o...@backspaces.netwrote: On Sat, Oct 29, 2011 at 9:12 AM, Tyler White tylerwhitedes...@gmail.comwrote: The solution depends on how you consider the answers... you can say that there are four unique answers (A, B, C, D) or you could say there are only 3 answers (25%, 50%, 60%). It's a trick question! Hahahah Tyler White¹ http://TylerWhiteDesign.com http://twitter.com/Uberousful FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org
