MovieChat Forums > Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead (1991) Discussion > Heads

Heads

posted 15 years ago by DerVagabund
6 replies | jump to latest

I've got this nice and shiny 5 Francs coin from 1875.
I frequently flip it and the record so far is 36 heads in a row.

I was a little scared when that happened, and for a moment there I thought myself in a play.
Any similar experiences?

I do not threaten, I merely advise caution. - Dream of the Endless

[–] 15 years ago

[deleted]

[–] steven-digby-2 15 years ago

LOL

As there are about 6.8 billion people on Earth you had a 1 in 10 chance of doing this.
1 in 5 if you include 36 Tails.

Million to one chances happen nine times out of ten - Terry Pratchett

[–] mannysanguillen 15 years ago

LOL

As there are about 6.8 billion people on Earth you had a 1 in 10 chance of doing this.
1 in 5 if you include 36 Tails.

I shudder at this poor reasoning. Assuming that the coin is fair, the chance of the original poster getting 36 heads in a row is one in 69 billion, roughly (note that this is actually the probability of getting 36 heads in the first 36 flips, which is a faulty assumption. In actuality, you're more likely to get 36 heads in a row if you flip the coin 10000 than 100 times, so the more you flip, the more the odds are in your favor.) However, the fact that there are 6.8 billion people on Earth does not change the probability for each individual person.

[–] 15 years ago

[deleted]

[–] steven-digby-2 9 years ago

It was faulty logic for comic effect. The clue was when I added "million to one chances happen nine times out of ten"

I AM A NORMAL HUMAN TYPING WITH MY HUMAN HANDS

[–] EtaoinShrdlu001 8 years ago

What are the chances you'd come back to this post almost exactly 6 years later?

You Fill Me with Inertia.