This version of the report tells us that a robotic "thumb" was used to flip the coin a bunch of times with precisely the same force and other relevant properties. This precise replication of the toss leads to a consistent outcome--the coin almost always lands the same way.
To which I respond: "YAWN!" I've been telling my students for years that if you could toss a coin in precisely the same way every time you would get precisely the same result. Because the coin is tossed precisely the same way every time in this case it is no longer a random event. Michael **************************************************** Michael Granaas [EMAIL PROTECTED] Assoc. Prof. Phone: 605 677 5295 Dept. of Psychology FAX: 605 677 3195 University of South Dakota 414 E. Clark St. Vermillion, SD 57069 ***************************************************** ----- Original Message ----- From: Shareef Siddeek <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Date: Thursday, February 26, 2004 6:24 pm Subject: Re: [edstat] tossing a coin is not a random process > you are right. Siddeek > > Humberto Barreto wrote: > > > It wasn't a local station, but a program called All Things > Considered > > on National Public Radio. > > > > Here's the web link: > > > > http://www.npr.org/display_pages/features/feature_1697475.html > > > > Humberto Barreto > > > > . > > . > > ================================================================= > > Instructions for joining and leaving this list, remarks about the > > problem of INAPPROPRIATE MESSAGES, and archives are available at: > > . http://jse.stat.ncsu.edu/ . > > ================================================================= > > > > > . > . > ================================================================= > Instructions for joining and leaving this list, remarks about the > problem of INAPPROPRIATE MESSAGES, and archives are available at: > . http://jse.stat.ncsu.edu/ . > ================================================================= > . . ================================================================= Instructions for joining and leaving this list, remarks about the problem of INAPPROPRIATE MESSAGES, and archives are available at: . http://jse.stat.ncsu.edu/ . =================================================================
