Researchers from the University of Amsterdam have discovered that coin tossing might not be as random as previously believed. After flipping coins over 350,000 times, they found a slight tendency for coins to land on the same side they started on, with a 51% same-side bias. This challenges the general assumption that coin tosses result in a perfect 50/50 outcome. The findings have implications for activities that depend on coin toss outcomes, such as gambling.
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Key Points:Â
- The University of Amsterdam study is the largest of its kind, involving over 350,000 coin flips, revealing a 51% same-side bias.
- Coins from 46 different currencies were flipped by 48 students, with results videotaped to ensure accuracy.
- The idea of a same-side bias in coin tossing was previously theorized in a physics model by scientist Persi Diaconis.
- The slight bias has implications for gambling and other activities that rely on coin toss randomness.
- The study suggests that for high-stakes decisions based on coin flips, it might be beneficial to hide the coin’s starting position.
Source: https://boingboing.net/2023/10/10/coin-toss-not-so-random-after-all-says-groundbreaking-study.htmlÂ
