Naked Science Forum
General Science => Question of the Week => Topic started by: WillT on 24/04/2024 09:13:31
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This week's Question of the Week comes in from David. He asks:
'On the show 'Tipping Point', Often at the end they play out the final three counters as 'What would have happened ' .
Would the result actually be what would have happened?
I argue that such a random action could never be replicated .'
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"Never" is a long time. I haven't intentionally watched Tipping Point but I gather it's related to a coin-pusher arcade game.
There being a finite number of coins, there is a finite number of possible arrangements so there is a nonzero probability of any outcome being replicated.
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There being a finite number of coins, there is a finite number of possible arrangements
The first coin can be placed at the end of the "sledge" or halfway along or a quarter or an eighth or ...
"It's not going to make any difference", I hear you cry.
Yes it will; it's a chaotic system.
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You certainly didn't hear me.
The question concerned a finite number of choices starting from a known assembly. Therefore there is only a finite (but very large) number of possible outcomes.