Monty Hall's Other Problems
Now that so many Lab readers have brilliantly mastered the Monty Hall Problem discussed in my Findings column, I've got several new problems for you. (If you're not yet clear on the original one, you...
View ArticleThe Psychology of Getting Suckered
The three problems posted yesterday involving Mr. Smith and Monty Hall confused some readers, but certainly not all. Mike Scott was the first to get all three answers correct; Harris gave a nicely...
View ArticleMr. Smith's 3-Card Monty Problem
The Mr. Smith probability problem still seems to be confusing some Lab readers despite the explanation yesterday from Craig Fox. So let me offer a couple of variations of it, which were provided by...
View ArticleMr. Smith's Gambling Problem
In what I hope is a final attempt to clear up the Mr. Smith probability problem, I've got another explanation and a new problem involving a coin, a die and $100. First, the explanation, from Craig Fox,...
View ArticleIs That a Fair Coin in Your Pocket?
I've got the answers to last week's Mr. Smith's gambling problem and Mr. Smith's 3-Card Monty problem, plus one new problem. The good news for this new one is that you don't need much expertise in...
View ArticleHappy Fairgoers, Worried Biologists
The skies opened Saturday over New York, but not even rain and lightning stopped the street fair at the World Science Festival. Where else could you see a band called "The Mathematicians" playing songs...
View ArticleA Beautiful Math
Nova's "Hunting the Hidden Dimension" tries to make modern mathematics comprehensible.
View ArticleA Prize for Solving Charlemagne's Puzzle
If you can solve a river-crossing puzzle that intrigued Emperor Charlemagne, you may have a shot a prize.
View ArticleMonday Puzzle: Moonlighting Triangles
For our first puzzle of the new year, here's a story about a pair of do-it-yourselfers, Penny and Roger, who have just finished tiling their poolside patio.
View ArticleMonday Puzzle: The Golden Ratio Treasure
Can you figure out exactly where the gold was buried?
View ArticleMonday Puzzle: Stashing Llamas
We've had a mountain puzzle about the one-L lama (who's a priest). Here's one about the two-L llama (who's a beast).
View ArticleMonday Puzzle: The Toiling Antomatons
"Avatar; poignantly reinforced a philosophical dilemma that I had first experienced many years ago while reading a science fiction story by the great Isaac Asimov, "That Thou Art Mindful of Him."
View ArticleMonday Puzzle: Back to the Future
How many unique day/date combinations are there in a typical year?
View ArticleMonday Puzzle: The Case of the Carnival Cups
Should Tom take the carnie's original offer at the 4 to 1 payoff ratio? Is Tom's reasoning about the average number of guesses correct?
View ArticleMonday Puzzle: Building Walls Rationally
Can you come up with a set of standard wall lengths that so that either family can build a house of the right proportion starting from any given standard wall? What is the smallest number of standard...
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