[BananaWhale]

(Original post by mmmpie)
The egg. The thing that laid it wasn't quite a chicken.

What layed the egg?

[Cerdog]

My favourite is definitely Simpson's Paradox. In short, it's when a correlation is reversed when you split the sample into groups. For example, one hospital might have healed more people than another, but the second hospital healed both more men than the first and more women than the first. It's my favourite because there are no tricks, it's just true, but it makes no sense at all.

[Zubby77]

Swiss Army Knife just came in the post.
I can't open the package because I haven't got a knife.
I haven't got a knife because I can't open the package.

[zaliack]

(Original post by Zubby77)
Swiss Army Knife just came in the post.
I can't open the package because I haven't got a knife.
I haven't got a knife because I can't open the package.

Teeth, hands or another knife can be used.

[Funtry]

This statement is a lie.

[Clare~Bear]

(Original post by BananaWhale)
What came first, the chicken or the egg?

(Original post by mmmpie)
The egg. The thing that laid it wasn't quite a chicken.

It depends though, if we're talking about a chicken egg, cos how could a non-chicken creature lay a chicken egg?

[Clare~Bear]

I like Shrodeingers Cat, (how ever you spell.)

If you're unfamiliar with it then here it is; If you place a cat (or any living creature) in a box, you can never be certain if it is alive or dead - therefore it's both at the same time! although the longer it's in there, the more likely it is to be dead. Especially seeing as it would have to be opaque and sound-proof (therefore air-tight) to not be able to see or hear it.

[BananaWhale]

(Original post by Clare~Bear)
It depends though, if we're talking about a chicken egg, cos how could a non-chicken creature lay a chicken egg?

[Ryan44]

(Original post by Clare~Bear)
It depends though, if we're talking about a chicken egg, cos how could a non-chicken creature lay a chicken egg?

Evolution maybe?

[lbsf1]

If penochio (sorry I can't spell) said his nose will grow will it??

[Hummi_C]

appologies if someone's already posted this, but here are a set of true or false questions. Answer:

1) The world is round.
2) The moon is made of cheese
3) Wasps sting people
4) Bananas are known for randomly exploding
5) 2 of these 5 questions are true...

[Clare~Bear]

(Original post by Hummi_C)
appologies if someone's already posted this, but here are a set of true or false questions. Answer:

1) The world is round.
2) The moon is made of cheese
3) Wasps sting people
4) Bananas are known for randomly exploding
5) 2 of these 5 questions are true...

I see what you did there.

Its like asking; if you randomly answer this question, what are the chances of you being right?
A. 25%
B. 50%
C. 33%
D. 25%

[mmmpie]

Is the set of all sets that do not contain themselves a member of itself?

[tommm]

Every term, a group of Christians hold a "text-a-toastie" evening, where you text them, they bring you a toastie, and you ask a question about Christianity/God/religion etc.

This leads to my favourite paradox - "could God make a toastie so tasty that even He couldn't resist it?"

[Dirac Delta Function]

Braess' "paradox".

[117r]

(Original post by Cerdog)
My favourite is definitely Simpson's Paradox. In short, it's when a correlation is reversed when you split the sample into groups. For example, one hospital might have healed more people than another, but the second hospital healed both more men than the first and more women than the first. It's my favourite because there are no tricks, it's just true, but it makes no sense at all.

You confused me initially. You mean it is possible for hospital A to heal a higher proportion of their men and a higher proportion of their women than hospital B, but a lower proportion overall...

[Cerdog]

(Original post by 117r)
You confused me initially. You mean it is possible for hospital A to heal a higher proportion of their men and a higher proportion of their women than hospital B, but a lower proportion overall...

Precisely. It doesn't really make any sense, but it happens all the time.

[marky--mark]

(Original post by Clare~Bear)
It depends though, if we're talking about a chicken egg, cos how could a non-chicken creature lay a chicken egg?

The thing that laid it was something that was a few genes away from being a chicken- when it did lay said egg the genes had mutated slightly (as per evolution). Thus, the egg came before the chicken.

[Brit_Miller]

(Original post by Mr Ben)
Glad it was fairly clear infinities are some of my favorite things to play around with in maths, they can be sooooo beautiful a times. I'm not usually too good at explaining things though, so I'm glad I managed this time.

Why explain when you can just quote Vihart.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TINfz...feature=relmfu

[paddyman4]

(Original post by ANIGAV)
Let's all try to share abit of knowledge so that we can all grow. What is your favourite paradox? it can be anything from maths to physics to philosophy itself.

Also please try to give a very brief explanation of the paradox if you understand it.

I start;


Video: http://youtu.be/aH2fpmxMV4Q

Correct me or any other user if the explanation of the paradox is wrong.

This has probably been answered but I can't be bothered to go through the whole thread to check, so just in case:

1. The expansion of the universe leads to light that has been travelling for along time being redshifted (so what is given out as light may reach us as invisible radiation). We are in fact bathed in radiation from all directions, but it is microwave radiation.

2. There is a radius beyond which light from stars has not had time to reach us, and a radius beyond which light from objects will never have time to reach us. Therefore even if an infinite number of stars existed, we would not exposed to an infinite number of them.