pull down to refresh
56 sats \ 1 reply \ @south_korea_ln 29 Mar \ on: Why is this number everywhere? science
I had observed something similar back at university. I had 30 questions to prepare for an exam. I had numbered them 1 to 30 on a piece of paper. Each time, I asked friends to pick a random number to tell me which question to focus on next.
All the odd numbers came out first before an even number popped up.
Somehow, even numbers don't feel random. Ever since, I try to give an even number as answer when someone asks for a random number. By doing so, I paradoxically prove yet again @davidw's comment above, humans are unable to act truly random.
Incidentally, this is also how fabricated data can be uncovered. By checking if certain data follows the (bi)normal, exponential, etc... distributions typical for certain kinds of data, it is very easy to prove that some data was fabricated.
I’ve noticed it in myself too. Incredible how people actively avoid 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80 as they’re all deemed not random, choosing from 1-100.
And variations containing 7 are very common, given it’s a ‘lucky’ number for many. We’re just all too predictable sometimes.
Scary to think if you combine this logic with password generation. Auth is so incredibly insecure.
reply