Testing out something I heard - NO PEEKING before choosing...

[SolsticeMan]

QUICKLY: From the above choices, pick one of the numbers at random.

DO IT QUICKLY, WITHOUT THINKING. DO NOT PEEK.

Should be interesting.

[RODEO]

Originally Posted by solsticeman QUICKLY: From the above choices, pick one of the numbers at random. DO IT QUICKLY, WITHOUT THINKING. DO NOT PEEK. Should be interesting.

OK, when do you explain, or, are you jut seeing who the dumb ones are who'll do anything they are asked to, like open an email with a virus attachment, or buy a Sol w/out AC because it's one of the first thousand

[SolsticeMan]

I'll explain in a few days, for now just do it.

[RODEO]

Originally Posted by solsticeman I'll explain in a few days, for now just do it.

You should have bolded and super fonted that:

for now just do it

[achieftain]

Originally Posted by solsticeman I'll explain in a few days, for now just do it.

Your wish is our command oh super moderator. This isn't like that commercial where the first person to pick a number gets fired.

[airbalancer]

Can we trust you to remeber what you are going to give us the answer in a couple of days.LOL
I use to tell that to my kids all the time.
" Leave me alone, I will tell you in a couple of days" I would forgot what the answer was.

[waiting]

When in doubt, charlie out!"

[achieftain]

Originally Posted by airbalancer Can we trust you to remeber what you are going to give us the answer in a couple of days.LOL I use to tell that to my kids all the time. " Leave me alone, I will tell you in a couple of days" I would forgot what the answer was.

That works only if the kids forget the question.

[Stephen M]

I voted, though I was semi-aware of the theory Solsticeman was testing. Early results seem to confirm it as well.

It's suprising how bad we are at doing things at random. I wonder how many grade points knowing to guess "C" earned me while in school?*

* Doesn't work on SATs.

[SolsticeMan]

Stephen M is onto it.

It has to do with randomness and perception of randomness in groups of people.

Remember, if most of the folks here have done it right, they quickly picked what they thought was a random number.

Ties into non-linear dynamics and crowd theory, too.

... oh, and the phase of the moon. And the price of tea in China. And the beat of a butterfly's wings.... and hurricanes, and global warming too

[achieftain]

Originally Posted by solsticeman Stephen M is onto it. It has to do with randomness and perception of randomness in groups of people. Remember, if most of the folks here have done it right, they quickly picked what they thought was a random number. Ties into non-linear dynamics and crowd theory, too. ... oh, and the phase of the moon. And the price of tea in China. And the beat of a butterfly's wings.... and hurricanes, and global warming too

If a butterfy in Guatemala flaps its wings and you have less than optimal tire pressure. so less than optimal contact patch, while negotiating a long sweeping left hander, can you blame your trip through the median on that butterfly blowing you off the road?

[RODEO]

Rodeo!!!! Don't give it away!!!

If you've already voted, you may see Rodeo's post by highlighting the text from

HERE:::

odd, i actually almost picked "c" but switched to "d" at the last second thinking it was an arbitrary purpose.

so "c" has special super power like solsticeman

to HERE::

[SolsticeMan]

OKAY,

A simple explaination is below. Please don't quote this, as the "spoiler prevention" will not work in the quote boxes.

PLEASE VOTE FIRST BEFORE PEEKING AT THE SPOILER!!!

HIGHLIGHT TEXT FROM HERE:::
I was in a statistics class a while ago, and the prof was saying how it was IMPERATIVE that we use a random number table to generate random numbers. "DO NOT ATTEMPT TO RANDOMIZE ANYTHING YOURSELF - YOU ARE HUMAN, FLAWED, AND INCAPABLE OF RANDOMIZING. THEREFORE, YOUR BIAS WILL BECOME PART OF THE EXPERIMENT" was what the prof said.

One day, he came in with a book on nonlinear dynamics (used to be called chaos theory) and we were discussing the Stock market and statistical anomalies, along with the Heisenburg Principle (another story).

He then announced that humans are so predictable, he would show us. He asked if we were able (a class of about 60 students) to pick something at random, without bias. Not surprisingly, most of us had affirmed that we could.

Then, he brought out a wooden plaque, all laquered up in black with a piano hinge on one side. Then he stated we would be doing an experiment that in his 22 years of teaching had not once failed. It was so predictable that he actually permanantly made the answer on this plaque.

Then, he told us exactly what I just told you, he said he had four random numbers on this overhead. He would flash them up for three seconds - during which time you had to pick and write down quickly a randomly picked number.

Then, he flashed the numbers 1,2,3,and 4 on the overhead. We all picked, and wrote down a number. Then he smiled.

He asked us who picked number 1. About 8%. Then asked us who picked number 2. About 15%. Now about this time, we all started looking around, with a weird feeling. Then he asked us who picked the number 4. About 12%. Of course, the rest of us "randomly" picked the number 3. Including yours truly.

Then he opened his black laquered plaque, and inside was a beautifully inlaid mother-of-pearl.... Number 3.

Nobody knows why. He said on the average, most folks shy away from 1, between 60-75% pick the number 3, the remaining pick either 2 or 4 with roughly equal preference.

As of today, 2 (9.5%) picked 1, 3 (14%) picked 2, 3(14%) picked 4.

And, of course, 13 (62.5%) picked 3.

I got a kick out of it, anyways... Just goes to show that some biases are almost unavoidable.

BTW, supposedly this is independent of nationality, race, gender, etc... seems to be universal in any human that understands numbers. It may not completely apply in populations that aren't as "numbers" oriented.

TO HERE:::

[RODEO]

nice trick with the sweep thing!

[2KWK4U]

I picked 2... but I gotta poop, that's probably why the number appealed to me