Sterling Terrell

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You are here: Home / Not Books / This Probability Riddle Is Just Wrong

This Probability Riddle Is Just Wrong

This Probability Riddle Is Just Wrong

Seriously, this probability riddle made me chuckle.

Of course, y’all know I love these types of little puzzles and stats questions. Here too.

So here goes:

If you pick an answer at random, the probability that you get the question right is?

A. 25%
B. 50%
C. 25%
D. 0%

Four choices to choose from is a 25% chance of picking the correct answer.

But two of these choices are the “correct” answer of 25%.

So that narrows it down to where two of the possible four answers are correct – and two of the possible four answers are incorrect.

This is a 50% chance of randomly choosing the correct answer.

The correct answer is B.

But there is a problem now. Do you see it?

If B (50%) is the correct answer here – the chance of randomly picking B is 25%.

But two of these choices are the “correct” answer of 25%.

So that narrows it down to where two of the possible four answers are correct – and two of the possible four answers are incorrect.

This is a 50% chance of randomly choosing the correct answer.

The correct answer is B.

And now we are back to where we started, again.

It is a case of circular reasoning.

There is no answer. You have no chance of being correct. 0%. This is choice D. The chance of randomly picking choice D (1 out of 4) is 25%. And here we go again.

I feel like it ruins it by explaining it, but here we are.

Did I miss anything?

H/T:

Don’t say I never did anything for you ♥️ pic.twitter.com/KElRozc8vj

— Will Spencer | The Renaissance of Men (@will_renofmen) September 7, 2021

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Filed Under: Not BooksTagged With: #Logic, #Statistics

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